Super Eds
by Nintendo Nut1
Summary: Every generation, a supernatural force chooses kids all over the world to inherit special powers. They are called the Super Children. And the call is about to be answered by three friends. As if their life wasn't weird enough already. ON INDEFINITE HIATUS, PLEASE STOP ASKING FOR UPDATES, THANK YOU.
1. Musing on Heroism

A/N: Well, here comes ANOTHER working fan fic! Hey, I warned you guys! You saw the artwork on devART (okay, maybe you didn't. XD Go check it out!), and now here it comes! Don't say I didn't warn you! So, I've been reading a couple of the "supernatural" EEnE fics around the site, and I decided it was my turn to give that genre a try! Don't worry, though, I'm working to develop this concept as best as I can. So, go ahead! Read on!

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**Super Eds**

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Chapter 1: Musing on Heroism

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"_Who's that masked marvel flying across the open skies? Who fights for justice, peace, and freedom for all?_"

"_THE FREEDOM AVENGER!_" Ed happily chorused with the narrator's dramatic voice, pouring from his television set the titanic story of one of the great superheroes of yester-decade. Giddy and anxious to watch the heroic tale unfold, Ed slithered out of his armchair and onto the floor, crawling closer and nearly planting his face on the glowing screen, beaming ear to ear.

And out from the deep folds of the cushion popped his two best buddies, gasping for breath.

"For heaven's sake, Ed!" Edd protested, coughing and wheezing as Eddy disdainfully pulled out yet another cooked chicken from underneath them.

"'Bout time you moved your big butt outta the way!" he exclaimed, forcefully trying to get relatively comfortable with Edd squeezed in beside him.

This discomfort went completely disregarded by Ed, who was at this point totally enraptured with the television and detached from reality. Knowing that it wasn't worth the effort to attract his attention, his friends gave up, squished together and forced to watch the feature film in front of them.

"Geez… this movie's so lame… it's not even in color!"

"Eddy, it was made in the sixties. You have to give it a _little_ leeway."

"Why am I even _here?_"

"I believe, and I quote, 'you had nothing better to do.'"

"Seriously? There had to be _something_ else."

"That's exactly what I told _you_."

"_Shhshush!_" Ed sharply hushed him, ignoring Eddy's stuck-out green tongue and turning back to the warm glow of his beloved TV set. And there the Eds sat for a good half hour, entertained by the B-level flick on various levels, from utter enchantment to absolute apathy. Finally, when Eddy was just about to announce his boredom, the movie was drawing to a close.

"_And so, with Dr. Despicable defeated and Sally Sureheart saved, the day is won, thanks to…_"

"_**THE FREEDOM AVENGER!**_HOORAY!"

"Yes, 'hooray,' indeed," Edd muttered, cringing as Ed leaped at the television, hugging affectionately. "…E-Ed?"

"Mmm…" the lovable oaf hummed, slowly twirling around onto his back with a big dreamy smile on his face. "Superheroes are so cool…"

"Superheroes are overrated!" Eddy butted in, squirming his way out of the chair. "Who the heck would wanna wear their underwear on the _outside_, anyway?"

"I think that's beside the point, Eddy," Edd stuck in his two-cents as well, though remained sitting.

"Aww, but they get awesome superpowers and…!"

"Wait, lemme guess, _and they get to save the world!_" Eddy jeered with a mockingly booming voice. "They must be _so famous!_"

An awkward silence followed. Ed gave Eddy a vacant stare, and Edd mentally began to count.

_One…_

_Two…_

_Three…_

_Four…_

"…hey! Famous? Yeah, famous! Loved by the masses!"

Edd frowned inwardly. A _four_-second delay this time? Was it just him, or was Eddy growing _less_ intelligent over time?

"Oh, man…" At his new realization, Eddy was getting more into the present idea by the second. "Imagine all that fame and glory…"

"I know," Ed giddily agreed, jumping up to join in his subconscious bouncing of excitement.

"And all you'd have to do is wear tights!"

"I know!"

"There's more to it than that, gentlemen," Edd spoke up, on his feet and patting their shoulders in that condescending way. "As Ed stated before, a superhero is usually granted supernatural powers, but with those powers comes great responsibility."

"…That's not your line, Double D," Ed flatly noted.

"Okay, so it's not. But it's true in every aspect." He drew away and began a lecturing pace around the room. "It's a superhero's duty to use the powers given to him for the good of humanity, and with constant threats and enemies, it can become a dangerous occupation. Personally, such a role doesn't appeal to me in the slightest. Who in their right mind would risk their life on a daily basis just to rescue some woman from a crazed psychopath?"

"Well, not _you_, being scared of girls."

Edd winced, biting his lip. Knowing Eddy, he walked right into that one.

"Come on, Sockhead, lighten up!" Eddy slinked up to his side, putting on a tempting grin. "Think of the things you could get away with as a superhero!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Ed reiterated with his own grin. "You could fly, or you could walk on water, or you could…"

"Well, I will admit the title of 'hero' does sound enticing, but I believe it's simply not worth the risk."

"Of course you do, Mr. Pacifier."

"…That's _pacifist_, Eddy."

"…could leap tall buildings, or you could stop speeding trains, or you could…"

"Whatever! You're limper than a wet noodle!"

"I am not!"

"You can't even talk to a _girl!_"

"That's my _point!_ If the opposite gender proves to frighten me, how much do you think I'd enjoy a regular routine of acts of death-defying proportions?"

Eddy blanked for a second after his friend's blurted response. "…well, at least you admit it."

"…………oh, _drat!_"

"…or you could shoot death rays from your eyes, or…"

"Ed, shut up." Once the dope had trailed off, Eddy continued irritably. "Come _on_, Double D, it's just something to think about! It's not like that's ever gonna happen to us! Would you stop being so dang critical all the time?"

Edd was taken aback, realizing the truth in his words and feeling ashamed. "Oh… Eddy, I'm…" He faced both his buddies with sincere apologies. "Guys, I'm sorry, I… I never meant to turn this into an argument, I just…" As a thought crossed his mind, he grew downhearted. "…This was supposed to be a relaxed gathering, with our homework finished and an extra hour or two to enjoy a movie together… I didn't want it to end like this again…"

"'Again?'" Eddy skeptically asked. "What're you talking about?"

Edd replied with a dismal frown. "You've noticed, haven't you? We've been arguing more and more lately and… and I'm afraid it's… tearing our friendship apart."

After a genuine pause, Ed chuckled. "Not true, Double D, you silly-billy!" he waved it off, wrapping a friendly arm around his shoulder. Edd feigned a smile, acknowledging his comfort and ignoring the stench that was causing him to tear up slightly.

Eddy sneaked in near his other shoulder, his grin returning. "Yeah, you're blowing things way outta proportion, Hamlet," he chided, thumping Edd's slender chest with his knuckles. "We're a _team_, remember? A lean, mean, scamming machine!"

"The Super Ed Team!" Ed added enthusiastically.

"I… I suppose you're right," Edd softly replied, filling silly at this point. "Maybe I _am_ overreacting a little…"

"More like _a lot_." Eddy slapped his back hard, knocking the breath out of him, before drawing away. "Anyways, speaking of scams, make sure you guys get your beauty sleep, 'cause tomorrow we'll be working to pull off one of the greatest scams of all time!"

Edd smirked shrewdly, wondering how many times he's heard _that_ one. "Is that so?"

"Do tell, Eddy!" Ed anxiously requested while his pal glanced at his wristwatch and sulked.

"Can't right now, I gotta get home before my mom wigs out," he groaned, already at the foot of Ed's basement stairs. "I'll give you guys the details in the morning."

"See ya, Eddy!" Ed waved goodbye as he disappeared past the doorway, throwing his own backwards wave in response.

"Well, then…" Edd began his own ascent up the staircase, giving Ed a gracious smile. "I'd best be heading home too. Thanks for the movie, Ed."

"No problem, Double D!" Ed beamed, snapping into a sloppy salute. "Remember, always fight for justice, peace, and freshly-darned socks!"

Reaching the top, Edd giggled and returned the salute, barely taking the statement seriously as he departed for home.

However, unbeknownst to the three of them, the fateful call of destiny was currently dialing, and very soon, they'd be taking the concepts of justice and heroism a heck of a lot more seriously.

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A/N: Yeah, kind of a slow, short start, but things will pick up soon, I promise you. Please review in the meantime:)


	2. Transformation

A/N: So, how'd you like chapter one? Well, I'm feeling generous today, so here comes chapter two as well! I hope you guys like this one; I had a blast writing it! Please, read on!

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Chapter 2: Transformation

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It all started with a dream.

Having gone through their evening routines, the Eds each climbed into bed, ready for a good night's sleep. They had to be well-rested for school tomorrow, after all, even if their motivations were varied.

But a supernatural force was reaching out to them, and such a call waited for no one.

_It all started with a dream…_

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_Whiteness. That was an appropriate word to describe the atmosphere of the Dream World. However, it wasn't a harsh whiteness, like the kind one would see when watching a shower of lightening with their eyes closed. It was a soft kind of whiteness, like the cottony innards of a pillow, one that looked heavenly to roll around in and squeeze your cares away with an embrace of fuzz._

_Wow…_

_It's absolutely beautiful…_

_Huh?_

_Hello?_

_Ed? Is that you?_

_Ed? Double D? What're you guys doing here?_

_Echo! My name is Ed!_

_Eddy? Where are you? I can't see anything!_

_How the heck should I know?_

_Testing… testing, one, two… syphilis… syphilis… _

_Alright, I'm going out on a limb here, but I think we're in each other's dreams._

_Well, get out! It was going great 'til you guys showed up!_

_Eddy dreams about cottony clouds!_

_Shut up, Ed!_

_This is quite perplexing… I've never had a dream like this before, not even with this image… What in heaven's name is going on?_

_**Chosen Ones…**_

_Huh? What was that?_

_Hello, mysterious voice!_

_**Chosen ones to inherit powers passed down countless generations…**_

_Powers?_

_Is she talking to us?_

_I can't tell…_

_**Since birth, your destinies have been laid out, and your talents remained dormant within the deepest recesses of your being until the time was right…**_

_I…I think she is, Eddy…_

_Hey! Lady! You talking to us?_

_Powers? Like superpowers?_

_**Those like you are known as Super Children.**_

_Super Children? Cool!_

_Not the most original name, huh?_

_We're… Super Children? But that's… that can't be…_

_**You are far beneath the coming of age, but dangerous times are approaching. Soon, you will become the world's only hope. The right time is now.**_

_Th… the world's only…_

_Double D? Are you okay?_

_What're you talking about, lady? We're no superheroes!_

_**Are you ready to answer the call?**_

_I… I-I-I-I…_

_Are ya deaf? How're we gonna save the…_

_Clear and ready for takeoff, miss!_

_**Then the seal upon your powers shall be broken, and your powers will be at your full disposal. **_

_Oh. That's how. Gotcha._

_W-w-wait! I'm not…!_

_Superpowers for Ed! Happy day!_

_**Good luck, Super Children.**_

_Suddenly, the clouds of cotton began to twirl in a whirlpool of white, blue, and pink. With this visual distortion also came a physical disturbance, a fluttering burst they each felt explode from within, like the releasing of thousands of butterflies from a tiny box. The warm charge cycled all throughout their bodies, freely and happily, like a bird awakened after the long winter cold._

_To understate, the Eds were left baffled and confused. The colors drained away into a dark hole, and the three were simultaneously awakened from their sleep._

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"GAH!" Edd shot up, the balled tail of his nightcap falling into his face. Shaking and sweating, he clutched at his beating heart, whimpering as he still felt traces of the strange sensation tingling throughout his body.

"It… i-i-it was just a dream…" he unsteadily muttered to himself, trying to calm his wrecked nerves. "Just a very strange dream, that's all… Ph-physical reactions based on messages the brain sends to the body are completely and totally _normal_…"

It was a logical reasoning, but he wasn't believing it. Good heavens, did he need a good splash on the face to wake himself up.

Groggily, Edd heaved himself out of bed, yawning and rubbing his eyes as he padded down the hall towards the bathroom. At least his parents were still at work, as usual, or he wouldn't have made it there without their questioning of why he was out of bed at this ungodly hour.

Clicking the light on, Edd entered the pristine bathroom and approached the sink, running the cold water and splashing it onto his face. Shutting off the faucet, he expected to feel better, but he didn't, staring up at his exhausted face in the mirror and moaning.

"Unh… what in Sam Hill's gotten into me?" he groaned to himself. "Come on, Double D, get a hold of yourself. It was just a dr… _**AGH!**_"

He tore away from the mirror to clutch his head, which was suddenly hit with a flash of intense pain that failed to go away.

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"WAH!" Eddy thrashed around in his blankets for a moment in utter confusion. Stopping at last, he sat up quickly, wrapped up like a mummy.

"…geez…" he breathed, tossing his sheets, damp with sweat, aside and dragging himself out of bed. Shuffling his bare feet across the shag carpet of his bedroom, he froze a couple times to shake off that weird feeling still moving throughout his body.

Man, was that a weird dream… what the heck did he eat yesterday? Maybe it was something in that school meatloaf.

Approaching his dresser mirror, Eddy examined his sleep-muddled features, chuckling tiredly at the weary kid he was staring at. "…well, aren't _you_ a mess and a half."

His amusement faded when the room suddenly began to grow hot, _really_ hot. Or was it just him?

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"Whoa-OOF!" Ed literally leaped out of his bed and landed on the ground below with a thump. He sat up cluelessly, taking a moment to allow the dream to register through, then beamed widely.

"Ed has _superpowers!_" he exclaimed happily, throwing up his arms dramatically. "Up, up, and _away!_"

Nothing happened, not even the usual shriek from his sister upstairs to shut up and go back to sleep. She was sleeping over at Jimmy's tonight.

"Huh?" Once he realized this, Ed lowered his arms and looked at his hands, confused. "…where'd my superpowers go?"

Just then, he felt a small twitch in his belly, one that would agonize anyone else. But Ed wasn't anyone else. He began to giggle.

"Hee hee… that tickles."

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Edd collapsed over the counter, his trembling hands clamped to his skull as his migraine was increasing by the second. He grimaced tightly, his slender body twisting this way and that in a distressed spasm. He agonized as he could barely stand up straight, his head flooding with magnified voices, tuneless melodies, and disjointed images. Everything he had ever heard or seen within his lifetime was thrown at him all at once, each like a hammer pounding upon his noggin, as if his mind was going into overdrive and malfunctioning.

"Agh! _AGH! W…wha…?_" Edd was in too much agony to form his dreaded consternation into words, losing his balance and falling to his knees. Trembling madly from both physical misery and utter terror, he threw his head back, his body thrusting forward sharply, and let out a terrible, tormented scream.

And then, just as he felt his head was going to explode, it all stopped. At that moment, the string that connected his self-control to the rest of his brain snapped in two.

Edd lolled for a minute or two, left practically brain-dead, then snapped to attention, and his mind took on, well, a mind of its own.

"_Transformation! Pronunciation! Temptation! Extinction!_" His brain sent random messages across his nervous system, causing his body to twitch and stumble around aimlessly and his mouth to sputter nonsensical words. "_Totally hopeless, mostly harmless, the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything is Forty-Two! __**Forty-two!**__ Six times Seven is Forty-Two! What is the question? How many roads must a man walk down? If a man says something in a forest and no woman is around to hear it, is he still wrong??_"

Though an idiotic smile was spread across his face as he trotted about to an Irish jig playing in his head, internally he was absolutely terrified. What on earth was _happening_ to him?

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Eddy was questioning the same thing as he stripped down to his underwear, frying up like an egg.

"For crying out loud!" he moaned, tossing his soaked bed shirt aside. "Who the heck left the stupid heater on? _MOM! DAD!_" he called out lazily, not caring that was two in the morning. "Turn the temp down, will ya?"

Then he straightened up in dread when he remembered that his parents were out of town for the week, tentatively trusting him to handle the house while they were gone. Eddy had been ecstatic so far, but now he was scared beyond rational thought.

Growing frantic, he shot up from his collapsed position on his bedroom floor and ran to the nearest thermostat. He read the numbers a good five times before they fully registered through.

74 degrees.

"You gotta be _kidding_ me!" he cried out, coughing as his throat dried up, parched as a desert floor. Clutching it, he dashed into the kitchen, yanking a glass down from the cabinet, filling it with cool tap water and chugging it down in one lengthy swig. One drink turned into three or four, and soon he was alternating between two glasses, gulping down water in a desperate binge that did nothing to help his condition.

"Wh… what the heck's _wrong_ with me?" he wheezed, tossing the useless cups away as he doubled over with coughing. However, his dry throat would soon become the least of his worries, as his body temperature grew to the point where it felt as though an inferno was raging under his skin.

"AAARRGHHH!"

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"…AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…!"

By now the tickling sensation had spread all throughout Ed's body, and he was squealing and squirming and rolling around helplessly. No one came down to see what was wrong because his parents were used to such commotion from him, even at this hour, and slept on, undisturbed.

And did _he _do anything to help his situation? Absolutely not. Because he was enjoying every minute of it.

At least now he had an excuse to laugh endlessly.

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At precisely 2:03 AM, the late-night calm of the cul-de-sac was disturbed by a series of ghastly sounds, like hungry harpies tearing through the skies. All were awakened by the horrid commotion that no one could seem to identify.

"_Dreamy spaceship clutter house! Halfway homes and catacombs!_"

"_AAAAHHHHH!_ MAKE IT STOP! HOT HOT _HOOOOOOT!_"

"_**WAAAAH**__AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA_…!"

This madness continued on for about six minutes, full of immobilizing fear. At 2:08, the noise was still going strong, and people were on the verge of calling the cops.

Edd was doing cartwheels around his bathroom, shrieking in Latin, Mandarin, French, and Vietnamese at the same time.

Eddy was frantically wrapping ice cube trays from the kitchen fridge around himself with tape, his scalding-hot skin melting the ice upon contact.

Ed was in hysterics upon his bedroom floor, to the point where his lungs hurt and he was shedding tears.

Then, at 2:09, there was silence.

Edd had regained control of himself, laying flat on his back as he trembled in fright, breathing hard.

Eddy, properly freezing cold, leaned on a nearby counter unsteadily with wide eyes, breathing hard.

Ed laid on his stomach, recovering from his intense laugh attack, breathing hard.

Simultaneously, the Eds collapsed from wherever they stood or laid, falling back asleep as if nothing had happened.

But in truth, a monumental thing had indeed happened. For the seal had been broken, and the transformation was complete.

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A/N: Haha, weird much, am I right? Don't worry, I plan to explain this all later. For now, though, these are the only full chapters I've written so far for this fic, so gimme some time. Oh, and if anything in the last half of this chapter seems repeated, it's that way on purpose to show the similarity between the Eds' experiences. Make sense? It had better! XD And yes, I know, a little Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference in there. XD God, what a great book/movie that is. Well, review this strangeness, please:)


	3. Discovery

A/N: OMG FINALLY I finish writing this chapter. XD Took me long enough! So sorry, I just never had a chance to, with everything else, got into a slump, and… well, you know how it goes. Anyways, I'd really hate to leave you hanging for much longer, so here comes chapter 3 at last! 8D

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Chapter 3: Discovery

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Based on habit, the Eds met on the corner in the morning in order to embark to school together, a stroll that would usually include hearty conversation about whatever came to mind. Today, however, talk didn't come easily. Eddy was in a bit of a foul mood, yawning continuously as he trudged on, half-awake. Edd gingerly rubbed his cranium every so often, waiting for the aspirin he took earlier to kick in. Obviously, both of them weren't interested in idle chat this morning.

Ed, on the other hand, felt great, grinning contently as he skipped beside his two best buddies, humming a tuneless ditty.

His unusually happy demeanor began to wear on Eddy's already strained nerves. "What's up with _you_, Mister Happy?"

Ed's grin faltered at his friend's bitter question, but was regained as he pat Eddy's flat head comfortingly. "Aw, did little Eddy wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?"

"Hey, _hey!_ Back off!" Eddy slapped his hand away viciously. "I was up early going to the bathroom fifty jillion times, alright?"

Edd visibly cringed, massaging his aching temples. "Ow… Would you mind keeping your voices down, please? I woke up with a splitting headache, and I don't need you to agitate it further."

"Well, _I_ slept great!"

"Nngh! …Good for you, Ed."

"Yup! It sure is great to be alive, huh, fellows?"

Edd and Eddy replied with identical, listless grunts.

"So much for our 'beauty sleep,' huh, Double D?" Eddy lamented.

"Mmm…" There was a pause before Edd caught on to his pal's hint. "…but the scam's going as planned, isn't it?"

"You know it!"

Edd sighed. "Of course."

"Hey, Lumpy, you still on lunch aid duty?"

"You bet your sweet patootie I am!"

"Perfect! Alright, boys, listen up…!"

With such a rapid change of subject, the events of the night before went unspoken of, and as far as each of them knew, their collectively embarrassing incidents would remain their own secret for as long as they permitted it.

Which, of course, wouldn't be very long.

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After lunchtime, Eddy was pumped up and ready to go. The table was set up by the cafeteria, the pans and knifes he swiped from Home Economics class were all laid out, and today's meal would leave plenty of hungry customers for his grade-A scam. All he had to do was wait for Ed.

That was the hardest part.

"Come on, come on, come _on,_" he muttered impatiently, staring down the hallway as he fidgeted in his seat. "Where _are_ you, Monobrow?"

"You don't suppose he forgot?" Edd assumed as he passed by his pal, his migraine worn off.

"He _better_ not have! Or I'll _make_ him remember!"

Edd sighed. "Hope that doesn't involve any violence on your part."

Well, _that_ was a new one. Eddy fully turned to give him a weird look in response to that comment. "What? Why would it?"

Edd frowned inwardly. "Eddy, I didn't fall off the truck yesterday. I _know_ you."

"What the heck are you talking about?"

"He's calling you violent, Eddy!"

"_WAH!_" Eddy jumped at the booming voice behind him, and to prove the claim, turned around and threw a fist into its source's jaw.

Edd cringed at the gesture, blanching in horror as Ed staggered dizzily, almost dropping the bag in his hand. Worried, Edd hurried to his side, holding him steady with some difficulty.

"_Urgh!_ A-are you alright, Ed?" he grunted under his chum's great weight.

"Hehe… pretty stars… where's the moon?" a tipsy Ed giggled, and Edd released him and quickly backed off, letting him drop to the floor with a heavy thud and a dopey chuckle.

Edd threw an accusing glare at Eddy.

"…what?" For once, he too was surprised by his reaction. "Oh, come on, it was just a reflex, honest!"

Edd was hardly convinced, but when Ed leaped back onto his feet, grinning as if nothing had happened, he decided to let it go. Best not to start yet _another_ fight.

With the pressure gone, Eddy snapped back to the task at hand. "Well, Ed? Didya get it, didya get it?" he excitedly asked, leaping over the table as Ed plopped the bag in front of him.

"I got it, Eddy!" he delightfully relayed, holding open the top to show them its contents. Both Edd and Eddy reeled back at the overpowering stench of _meat_ that poured out, gurgling as if it was just taken out of the heating units. The fact that Ed was still wearing plastic gloves and a hairnet helped the assumption.

Edd plugged his nose in repugnance, whereas Eddy beamed maliciously at the brown mess of meat inside. "Nice work, Ed! This is perfect! We're gonna be rich! Financially set for life!"

At this proclamation, Edd straightened up in complete and utter bafflement. He looked at Eddy, then at the bag of meat, then at their table full of utensils, then back at Eddy.

"…Alright, let me see if I understand all this…" he calmly started as the other two dragged their goods behind the table and got to work. "Is that bag full of _mystery meat_, Eddy?"

"Uh, _yeah_," Eddy raised a brow at his pal as he scooped up a clod of the meat and plopped it into a cake pan.

"And we'll be using that said bag of mystery meat for the scam?"

"You bet!"

"The scam to sell the other kids _chocolate??_"

"Ingenious, isn't it?"

"You _can't_ be serious, Eddy!" Edd exclaimed, appalled by the sheer lack of rational thought put into the idea. "Mystery meat bears absolutely no resemblance to chocolate whatsoever! Who on earth do you think will _fall_ for something this lackluster?"

"Give it a rest, Sockhead! I thought it through!" Eddy smirked as he scooped next a spoonful of white crystallized powder. "They won't be able to tell the difference once the _secret ingredient_ is added!"

Edd could barely wrap his head around how outrageous this plan was growing, rubbing his temple as traces of his headache were returning. "White refined sugar will not magically turn mystery meat into chocolate, Eddy."

"Ah, whadda _you_ know?" Eddy chided, pouring the sugar in and stirring.

"What _I_ know is what our Home Economics teacher told us, and I remember him saying that sugar is nit the end-all ingredient in bak… MMPH!"

Without batting an eye, Eddy turned and shoved a spoonful of his concoction into Edd's mouth, shutting him up nice and quick.

"So? Chocolate's spitting image, ain't it?"

Edd's bulged, watery eyes and discolored cheeks suggested otherwise.

"Maybe it's too spicy," Ed offered a pointless remark.

"Maybe _you_ need to get cracking on making me chocolate!" Eddy booted him off to start his work with a clueless chuckle, turning back to Edd with a grin. "So? Huh? How is it??"

Finally, Edd forced the barely edible substance down his throat with a visible gulp, then nearly doubled over with revolted coughing. "_HACK!_ …Eddy, that was _horrible!_ Don't you _ever_ shove food into my face like that again!"

"What, needs more sugar?"

Edd's mind was on the verge of blowing up. "Eddy, that tasted _absolutely __**nothing**_ like chocolate!"

Eddy replied with a deadpan stare. "…Well, no duh. It's 'cause you _know_ it ain't chocolate." He turned away from Edd's unbelieving gape, giggling greedily as Ed produced pan after pan of their makeshift pastries. "But those pigeons don't!"

Edd's brain twitched, then gave up. It was aching too much already.

Ed noticed their pal's tense expression of mental constipation when he looked up from his pan. "…Double D? Are you okay? You're not _allergic_ to chocolate, are you??"

Edd sighed deeply. "No, Ed. No I'm not."

"Oh, good!"

"See? Like I said, perfect!" Eddy proclaimed. "Once 3 'o clock rolls around, we'll be swimming in moolah! Nothing can go wrong!"

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The problem was, everything _did._ Murphy's Law was never a friend of the Eds.

Turned out the other kids shared Edd's tastes, confirming that what they had purchased for 25 cents a pop was _not_ chocolate. And they weren't very happy about it.

And so, at about 3:04 PM, the same table that once held their goods was turned over, and the mystery meat mess was all over the floor and spattered on the walls. That Eds were trapped with their backs to the lockers, surrounded by the group of disgruntled customers out for blood. Two of them looked especially enraged; Sarah was clenching a fist with one hand and holding up Jimmy with the other, who looked a little green around the gills. The poor boy had been the first to discover the disgusting truth, spewing out the horrid slop onto the closest surface; therefore, Kevin stood nearby with unspeakable anger reflected in his meat-covered face, clutching a baseball bat as threateningly as he could.

Ed was properly afraid. Edd was embarrassed beyond belief. Eddy, who was clutching his jar of quarters for dear life, summed up their predicament in four simple words.

"This is _not_ good."

"You're darn right it's not!" Sarah shrieked. "Look what you blockheads did to Jimmy!" She thrust him forward by the collar, making him even more queasy.

"N-not so rough, Sarah…!"

"This is _so_ not cool!" Nazz reproached forcefully. "What were you guys _thinking?_"

"We were thinking of selling mystery meat to gullible pigeons as chocolate!" Ed answered gleefully. "Right, Eddy?"

His reply was a sharp elbow slam to the face. "Shut _up_, stupid!"

For once, Edd had nothing to contribute to their defense. He knew this plan was a failure from the start, and no honeyed words of his could change this, but there was more to it than that.

He was too busy looking at Nazz.

_Even when incensed she's absolutely bewitching…_ he caught himself thinking.

It was a shame he'd probably never muster the courage to tell her so. Even if they _did_ make it out of this pickle alive.

Soon, he realized that she was staring right back at him with a weird look, and he blushed madly, gave off a barely audible squeak, and brought his hat down over his face.

"You guys should be totally ashamed of yourselves!" he heard her continue. He was ashamed enough already, but hearing _her_ say it increased the feeling of disgrace tenfold.

There then came a meaty splat, and Edd braved a glance as he lifted his hand to find his two friends beside him with mystery meat drippings plastered to their faces.

"Rolf is insulted!" the tosser proclaimed. "You doo-doo headed swindlers call this mammal flesh?? Rolf calls it processed cattle droppings!"

"Is _that_ what it's made out of??" Jonny grinned, elbowing Plank. "Wow, when you're right, you're right, buddy!"

"_**ENOUGH!**_" a seething Kevin finally bellowed, their distracting annoyances only adding to his fury. "Are we gonna pound the dorks' faces in or what??"

During the distraction, Eddy was wiping the discolored goop off his face (with Ed dipping his fingertips in and tasting it). But at the brutish command and the uproarious cry that followed, all three straightened up in sheer terror. Cartoon barbarism was never an enjoyable experience, and the Eds liked their faces just the way they were.

In the spur of the moment, Eddy hatched a desperate plan and swiftly executed it with only one word.

"_**SCATTER!**_"

He dashed one way, and Ed, based on reflex, cried out and ran in the opposite direction.

"_ED!_" Sarah screeched. "Get back here or I'll tell Mom!" She began pursuit, dragging Jimmy behind her with minor, unheeded protest.

"No-neck Ed-boy scampered off this way!" Hefting his trusty shepherd's crook, Rolf also gave chase. "Jonny-Wood-Boy! Follow Rolf!"

"Coming!" Jonny took off after him. "Let's get 'em, Plank!"

"W-what?? No, wait! _WAIT!_" Edd, on the other hand, was caught off guard, rooted in fear as he helplessly called out to his departing pals.

It took him a moment to realize that Kevin and Nazz were the only ones besides him that hadn't left the hallway yet, leaving him to face the two people he could hardly challenge on his own.

Edd was sweating and trembling madly as he turned to the easier opponent. Maybe, just maybe, he could talk his way out of this one.

"K…Kevin?"

A threatening smack of the bat's business end in his palm instantly dashed that hope. The jock was beyond hearing at this point.

Edd felt sick to his stomach as he evaluated his situation. His friends were gone, chased off by the others, leaving him to confront a girl he could barely _look_ at and a violently livid face caked in mystery meat sauce. The humiliation and shame were bad enough, but with the kind of anger he was sensing, _especially_ from Kevin, he knew those things would be polished off with the classic beating within an inch of his life.

Terrified out of his mind, Edd shut his eyes tightly, desperately wanting to disappear.

And that's exactly what happened.

----------

Navigating the hallways, Eddy finally cleared the front doors of the school. Somehow, it didn't take him much effort to get there; usually he'd be gasping for breath by now after all that running. But he didn't initially notice this, as his mind was also running, at about 100 mph at this point.

So far, so good. If he could just get back to the cul-de-sac…

"_ED-BOY!_"

Eddy nearly jumped out of his skin, turning back to find his pursuers right down the hall. How the heck were they able to follow him so quickly??

"We almost got 'em, Plank!"

Scared out of his wits, Eddy slowly backed out the double doors at first, but when he tried to break into a run, he tripped over the entry steps, falling flat on his face on the pavement below. By the time he recovered, he looked up with a petrified stare of caught prey as Rolf and Jonny loomed over him.

"Any last words, Ed-boy?"

Any other young man would've willingly taken the beating over an injured pride. But Eddy was never known for that type of bravery.

"…y-yeah, actually, I do… See ya!"

One nanosecond later, he was gone. An impression of smoke was left were he once sat on the asphalt.

The act itself didn't surprise the two of them in the least. But in all his cowardice, neither Rolf nor Jonny could remember a time where he moved _that_ fast.

"…whoa…" Jonny breathed as both of them looked around, finding no traces of Eddy whatsoever. "…it's like he disappeared in the blink of an eye…"

Rolf scratched his head, puzzled. "…a speed demon?"

"Way cool!"

----------

"_**ED!**_"

Ed's fear grew at that terrible screech, like a squad of demons pouring out from the doors of Hades. He slammed his bedroom door behind him, even though he knew it wouldn't do any good.

By the time he had leaped under his bed covers frightfully, Sarah had completely torn the door off its hinges, her anger level staggering to an impossible intensity. Her murderous glare was almost enough to soil Ed's trousers as he trembled under his stale sheets, eyes as wide as dinner plates in sheer terror.

Sarah stomped closer as Jimmy remained by the doorway to watch. "Make him cry, Sarah!"

Ed was already beginning to cry, and he felt no shame for it. Despite the fact that she was half his size, he was genuinely afraid of the pain and hurt Sarah was capable of delivering.

There had to be a way to stop her… there just had to!

And within the deep subconscious confides of his brain, Ed found the answer. And he was never one to think twice about the thoughts inside his withdrawn intellect.

As Sarah leaped into the air, ready to pounce on him like a lion, Ed threw off his protective blankets, threw out his arm, and screamed, "_STOP, SARAH!_"

Surprisingly, that was enough.

----------

"…what the…?"

"W… where'd he go?"

Edd, to be honest, was perplexed by such a nonviolent reaction. Why, did he go somewhere?

Tentatively, fearing to be revealed, Edd cracked an eye open to face the shocked and puzzled looks upon Kevin and Nazz's faces. Their confused eyes seemed to stare right through him.

And when he looked down at himself, he made the incredible discovery that that was exactly what they were doing.

"It… it's like he vanished into thin air…" Nazz breathed.

Slowly, Kevin lowered his bat, and with an unsure hand, reached out and waved through the space of air he was sure the dork had occupied a second ago. Edd barely had a chance to move out of the way.

"Whoa… too weird."

Weird would definitely be a word Edd would use to describe this phenomenon, but he didn't dare to speak that thought aloud. Slowly, wonder began to replace fear as he turned away from the dumbfounded duo with quiet steps and examined his hands. They were _there_, he knew it, he _felt_ them as he turned and clenched them. He just couldn't _see_ them.

Then, with the apparent force of his will alone, they began to appear; slowly, beginning at the fingertips, Edd watched in unbridled amazement as his hands phased into visibility. The process halted at his wrist, just like he wanted it to, and its edges seemed faded and ghost-like. He _knew_ there was an invisible arm that extended to this seemingly floating hand of his, but the optical illusion fascinated him to no end.

"_Oh my gosh_, what the heck is _that??_"

Whoops. Bad move. Edd jumped, turning to face the other two that he had forgotten about. As if things couldn't get worse, whatever had triggered his unexpected invisibility toggled off, and he fully materialized, losing his means of protection.

In a fleeting moment, Edd glared down at his visible self. "…Oh, that's just not fair."

"_YOU!_" He jumped again at Kevin's demonic voice as the jock lifted his bat up menacingly. "You…you… _**DORK!**_"

With the bat coming down fast, intending to slam into his face, a terrified Edd did the only thing he could think of doing. He cried out, turned away, and held out his hand in futile attempts to soften the blow.

There came a static hum and a zap, and Edd was thrown to the ground. Kevin, on the other hand, was thrown halfway across the hallway.

Left with a mild headache again, Edd shakily rubbed his cranium, once again confused by the outcome of the assault. He looked up to find Nazz petrified as she gazed down the hall at a fallen Kevin. His bat laid a few feet away, split into two splintered halves.

Edd gawked at the melee before him, wondering what oddity happened _this_ time. He experimentally held out his hand again, and with another buzzing hum, there appeared his answer: a swirling, translucent ball of blue and violet. Leaping back in surprise, he yelped and quickly withdrew his hands, and the ball disappeared.

_A…force field?_

Nazz turned to gaze at him, her wide stare identical to his own.

Wrought with thousands of emotions, including embarrassment, of all things, Edd deduced that he needed to get away as fast as he could. Perhaps he could explain things later, whenever he could figure this all out. And in whatever next millennia he could gain the courage to tell _her_ directly.

"…w-wait! Double D!" Nazz called uselessly after he had disappeared again, already dashing down the hall for home.

----------

Reaching his house, Eddy threw the door open and slammed it behind him, leaning his back against it as he caught his breath. After all that running, all the way from the school to the cul-de-sac, he was expecting to be tired.

Then again, he was also expecting his pursuers to be right on his tail, pounding on his door. How fast was he going, anyways?

Eddy checked his watch. 3:05.

He waited a beat, then checked it again unbelievingly. Yup. 3:05, that's what in read.

"…No way," he breathed, knowing it was impossible for him to trek all the way from the school to his house in less than a minute.

Unless…

Trails of smoke floated past his vision, accompanied by the subtle smell of burnt rubber. Puzzled, Eddy looked down and lifted his foot, finding the source to be the soles of his shoes. Unwisely, he waved the smoke away, only to stoke a fire that burst into existence on his shoe.

"_WAH!_" He kept waving, making the flames bigger, as he hopped around his room on one foot while trying to put out the other. "No no no, stop! _STOP!_"

Frantically, he closed his fats, and surprisingly, that worked just fine. The flames disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Eddy stared at the black scuffs on his shoes in disbelief.

"…whoa… unreal…"

Okay, this was just too weird. There was no way he'd be able to keep this a secret.

Eddy wondered if Double D had made it home and decided to go investigate, zipping out his door.

----------

Ed was petrified for a good few minutes, not daring to move a muscle as he awaited the first blow. Even his once shaky, outstretched hand steadied itself.

Properly confused, Ed's eyes snapped open to find blue light pouring out from one of the fingers of his perfectly stable hand. The light spread out to surround Sarah's form, leaving her suspended in mid-leap. She made no protest (or any movement, for that matter), because somehow that light was inhibiting her from doing so.

Jimmy was also frozen in his spot by the door, thought the light wasn't touching him. Shock did the job pretty well.

Ed stared at his hand, then at his floating sister, then back at his hand.

Just then, a definition from one of his science fiction favorites played back subconsciously in his head:

_Zero-point energy: the lowest possible energy that a quantum mechanical physical system may posses, an amount of energy associated with the vacuum of empty space, able to be converted into a field of quantum energy that inhibits physical movement. _

"…quantum energy…?" he breathed. Then a huge grin flourished on his face when realization hit. His superpowers were finally kicking in!

"_Super Ed!_" he boldly proclaimed, laughing as he juggled Sarah about in the air with his newfound power, jumping between fingers. "Saving the day, one waffle at a time!"

"ED! …You… _JERK!_" Sarah bellowed in between each zap of zero-point energy.

"Sarah!" Finally, Jimmy hurried in, jumping around and trying to catch his floating friend with hopeless hops. "I-I got you, Sarah!"

"Here you go!" Ed swung his arm in a wide arc, releasing the field energy and unintentionally slamming Sarah into her helpless buddy. He cringed as they both hit the far wall. "…Oops."

With a shriek that could wake the dead and kill them all over again, Sarah shot up and launched herself like a missile at her brother in revenge. With her furious speed, Ed barely had a chance to react, and her fist smashed into the side of his face with ferocious power. The harsh blow effectively knocked him to the floor, heavily bruised with his cheek swollen up like a balloon.

Sarah was ready to really let him have it, but a slightly battered Jimmy held her back. "W-wait, Sarah! …I think he's unconscious."

"That fast? No way, he's faking it!"

"B-but Sarah…!"

"Leggo! He's gotta…1"

"Omigosh, Sarah, _look!_"

The two gazed back at a knocked-out Ed, only to find not a scratch or blemish on his tranquil face. It seemed he hadn't even been _touched_.

With all their conviction deflated, Sarah and Jimmy stared at him, then each other. Then, very slowly at first, without exchanging a word, they scrambled over each other to hurry out the door. It was best to leave the sleeping beast lie.

Soon, however, Ed regained consciousness, sitting up in confusion and barely remembering what had just happened. The one thing that happened to stick, of course, was the knowledge of his revealed superpowers. He gazed down at his hands, experimentally zapping a model rocket, making it fly around in lazy circles, and finally dropping it hurriedly in his excitement.

He had to show the other guys! Wouldn't they be surprised!

With the heavy purpose behind this discovery lost to him for the moment, Ed darted up his stairs to embark to his friend's house.

----------

A/N: Wow. That took…. (counts) …forever. XD Sorry, it just turned out that way when I wrote it. Oo Weird. Oh well. The Zero-point energy IS real, and the definition is a combination of a couple Wikipedia articles (I don't care what schools say, it's a great site). The next few chapters will be bumpy for me to write, but I'll do my best! Should be easier once I get all my other stuff done… in another lifetime. XD Oh well. Please review!


	4. Plan

A/N: Alright! Now that finals are winding down and "A True Lover's Ed" is done, I can focus more attention on this! Ahh… well, then, I'd better get started in ch 4, huh? Let's get going!

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Chapter 4: Plan

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----

In front of a certain house, a doormat seemed to lift up on its own accord, revealing the emergency front door key underneath. The key too floated upwards and thrust itself into the keyhole, quickly turning and unlocking the door, which was thrown open and subsequently slammed.

Finding solace inside his own walls, Edd materialized at last, catching his breath. He then uttered the question of the day.

"What in heaven's name is _happening_ to me?"

"Beats me. Just be glad you managed to get away from the other kids."

"_GAH!_" Edd jumped when he suddenly found Eddy standing right in front of him, a space he could've sworn was empty a second ago. It was certainly a feat open for question, but when Edd caught his breath, he decided to get the trivial questions out of the way first.

"How'd you get into my house?" he asked flatly.

"Window," Eddy replied casually, grinning.

Edd sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in vexation. "If you inflicted any property damage…"

"Relax! Me 'n Ed fixed it, I'll show you!"

Edd looked up quickly, finding himself being dragged down the hall by his arm. "What? Ed's here too?"

"Yeah, yeah, here, take a look." Eddy pulled him in front of the kitchen window. "This is the window we broke into, honest."

Edd looked over the spotless pane, raising a brow. "Really."

"_Yeah_ really!" Eddy reached down, then shoved a rust red cinderblock into his hands. "Look, here's the brick we used!"

Edd looked at the brick, then the window, then Eddy. The skepticism never left his face.

"Eddy…" he began. "…would you care to enlighten me as to how you expect me to believe you broke through _this_ window, using _this_ brick? I'm curious."

Eddy rolled his eyes. "Look, Colonel Sarcasm, the point is that me 'n Ed fixed the window, 'cause we knew you'd probably freak."

"_How?_"

"How what, we knew? 'Cause we're your buddies!"

"_No!_ How'd you fix the _window??_"

"Oh! Easy! Ed picked up the pieces and held 'em in place, then I… uh…"

Edd smirked, thinking he had Eddy trapped. "You what?"

"…ah, I don't know what it's called, y'know, with the blue fire and…" He paused, then held up his hand. "Hang on, cover your eyes."

Edd humored him and did so with his hand. What he proceeded to hear was a snap and the feathery fizz of a fire flashing into existence. He saw the blue glow of the column of gassy flame burning above Eddy's thumb before he even lowered his hand, staring at it dumbly.

Eddy quickly withdrew the flame when he noticed. "Whoa, hey, I thought you're not supposed to look directly at it without those face guards."

It didn't same to faze Edd as he turned his wide eyes up to his friend in disbelief.

"So what's that called?"

"…w…weld…ing…?"

"_Yeah_, welding, that's it! I welded the glass pieces back together! Good as new!" He ran his hand over the window pane. "…well, okay, it's a little warped, but I don't think your parents'll notice."

Edd adamantly failed to let any of this get to him. He sighed, turning away from the window. "Where's Ed?"

Eddy frowned, disappointed that he failed to impress Edd. "He's in the living room."

"Right, then." He walked past Eddy on his way to the hall, pausing in his step. "…oh, and thank you for actually considering my feelings and fixing the window."

"…uh… yeah, sure…" Uncertainly, Eddy caught up to him, and the two strolled very slowly down the hallway in an uneasy silence.

Eddy looked up at Edd. Never in his life did his face look so unperturbed or laid-back.

"…What're _you_ so calm about?"

Edd gave him an odd sideways glance. "Why, should I be otherwise?"

"You're _freaking me out_, Double D. Seriously."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Eddy pouted. He really hated when Sockhead did this.

That's when he got an idea. It was time for a little demonstration.

_Poke._

Edd stopped and swiveled to his right, only to find no one there, even when he clearly felt a tap on his right shoulder. He glared down at Eddy, who shrugged innocently.

_Poke._

Once again, no one. Strange, he was looking right at Eddy when it happened.

_Poke._

Now on his left shoulder. Edd turned back to find nothing. Eddy was now to his right, wearing the most coy of grins.

Edd's eyes narrowed. "Eddy, I _know_ it's you."

"What? You've got no proof."

_Poke._

_There._ He saw it.

"Aha! It _is_ you!"

"What? You didn't see nothing."

"I did too! A blur! I saw a tiny blur! You _clearly_ had moved!"

_Poke._

"Ah, there! You did it again!"

"And you still looked! You're such a dupe."

"_Eddy!_"

_Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke._

"_Cut it OUT, Eddy!_"

Eddy screeched to a halt in front of him. "Oh, come _on_, Double D, aren't you gonna ask me how I'm doing it?? The least you could do is _pretend_ to be surprised!"

"Is _that_ what you've been bothering me about?"

"Gimme some credit, Sockhead!"

"Look, to be perfectly honest with you, Eddy, this isn't any stranger than what I've experienced on my own today. And I'm still trying to figure _that_ out."

Eddy replied with a weird look. "What, didya finally talk to a girl?"

Edd's train of thought braked at that completely irrelevant assumption, though he didn't disregard it. "…we… we looked at each other."

"…_Wow_, that's such a _big step_, Double D!" Eddy wrapped an arm around his pal's shoulders as they resumed their walk. "Better watch out, turbo; at this rate, pretty soon you'll be _holding hands!_"

"Oh, leave me alone," Edd muttered, suddenly feeling dejected as his hat fell into his downcast eyes. "I really don't want to talk about it right now."

"Fine. Killjoy." Eddy removed his arm, his shrewd grin resurfacing. "So, I guess you won't be surprised when we find Ed, right?"

That instantly brought Edd's gaze up, a smirk crawling onto his face. "Oh, don't tell me…"

"Yup."

Stepping into the living room, Edd and Eddy found several objects floating through the air, each enveloped in a blue glow. The items appeared to be hanging on blue chords of light, tracing to their source, who sat on the floor in the dead center of the room.

"Ed?"

The aforementioned oaf swiveled his head at almost a 180 degree angle, beaming brightly. "Double D! You made it back!"

"Heh, no thanks to you two," Edd briskly replied, though was more fascinated with the phenomenon Ed was creating, watching a side table float past his head. "Ed… is this…?"

"Zero-point energy? You betcha, Double D!" Ed chorused as he juggled two potted plants with two of his fingers.

As Edd watched the spectacle with unbridled awe, Eddy stepped in, puzzled. "'Zero-point energy?' What's that?"

"Well, it's difficult to explain, as it's only a theory of quantum physics," Edd answered as he nonchalantly dodged a sofa cushion. "Basically, it refers to the lowest possible energy within an object in its ground state. A 'dormant energy,' if you will."

"…Okay, sure." Eddy didn't try to grasp it, instead motioning towards Ed. "So how exactly does Lumpy know about it?"

"It's just like in the movies, Eddy!" Ed delightfully replied, setting the objects down one by one.

"True, Ed," Edd nodded, turning to Eddy to elaborate. "In science-fiction, zero-point energy, or ZPE, is used to lift items or negate physical movement."

"Like this?" Trying to be helpful, Ed reached out a finger and zapped his buddy, freezing him on the spot. Trapped in his lecturing pose, Edd's movement was limited to his eyes, shooting a dirty look at a laughing Eddy.

"Sweet! Now we can shut his trap on command!"

Once Ed had released him, finding interest in a precariously-placed vase on a high cabinet, Edd wiggled a bit, then shot Eddy a more effective glare. "Ha, ha, very funny, Eddy."

"So…"

"…So, what?"

Ed cocked his head curiously. He remembered playing around with it earlier, but he didn't think he put it down so close to the edge. From this angle, it looked ready to topple over at any second.

"Don't 'so what' me! You haven't been that least bit shocked since you _got_ here! What're you hiding?"

"…Well, I…"

"May day! _May day!_" Ed cried out, waving a helpless finger towards the leaning vase.

The instant it finally tipped over, Edd's instinct clicked on. Without batting an eye, he thrust his hand out in one dynamic movement, and a small blue orb throbbed into existence, catching the vase inches before it hit the ground. It floated aimlessly within the sphere's humming walls.

After the initial pause, Ed and Eddy remained fixed where they stood as they watched Edd slowly approach the cabinet, his hands reaching out and gracefully curving around the ball, sustaining it. With evident strain, he lifted it with an invisible force, higher up to the top of the cabinet, and strained further to steady and place the vase, his fingers clawing and beads of sweat gathering near his temples.

Once the vase had settled, Edd's fingers flared softly in a release, and the buzzing bubble ebbed away, leaving the room in a brief, quiet daze.

The silence was then broken by a delighted cry that took no one by surprise.

"…_COOL!_ Double D can make force fields!"

Edd sighed as Ed happily bounced up and down and Eddy slinked up next to him. He took his buddy in roughly by the shoulder, which didn't seem to faze him much.

"I _knew_ it!" Eddy laughed, pounding his chest. "You sneak! Do it again!"

Edd rolled his eyes, then obliged and held out his hands. With a slight movement, another force field pulsed before him, swirling and humming like warm static.

"Ooh…" Ed gazed at the glowing ball with glazed eyes of wonder. When he knocked its side with a finger, it drummed like thick glass, ripples expanding over its surface.

"Nice," Eddy commented once it was gone, thumping his buddy's breastbone again. "Is that all you can do, or what?"

At that question, Edd looked down at him with that 'you have _no idea_' smirk gracing his face.

And then he vanished.

Eddy stared at his empty arm in surprise. "Wha…?" He looked around the room uselessly. "W-where'd he go?"

Once again, it didn't take Ed long to figure it out. He grinned ear to ear and laughed in glee. "Double D has _invisibility powers_ too!"

"Excellent deduction, Ed." They heard Edd's voice reply from the empty air.

"Are you serious??" Eddy gawked, straightening up when he felt a tap on shoulder. Then another. And another. "_GAH!_ Quit it, Double D!" he protested, waving his arms about in hopes to catch his invisible chum.

"What? You have no proof it's me."

"_Double D!_" His shirt was lifted over his face, and he let out a grunt of frustration as he pulled it back down forcefully, ignoring a laughing Ed on the couch. "Why couldn't you just _tell us_ you have invisibility powers?"

A chuckle. "Because…"

Eddy jumped a good couple feet in the air when Edd suddenly appeared right in front of him, leaned forward playfully with a big smile on his face.

"Where would the fun be in that?"

They stared at each other for a few moments. Then the trance was broken by Eddy's trademark sly grin.

"I have rubbed off on you so much it's not even funny."

"I've come to accept that," Edd retorted as he stepped back, marveling Ed's bouncy dance of excitement.

"But seriously, though, you get two powers? What's up with that?"

"Well, so do you, Eddy," Edd replied to his demanding question calmly. "You have super speed, for one thing, plus the manipulation of the fires you create from your intense friction."

Eddy blinked. "…oh… that counts as two?"

"It does indeed." Ed turned towards Ed thoughtfully, who replied with a questioning cock of his head. "Though as for Ed, I'm not sure. The Zero-Point Energy appears top be his main power, but…"

"Y'know, actually…" Eddy interrupted when a thought occurred to him, and Ed's empty stare moved to him. "Ed was telling me earlier how Sarah beat him up, but…"

"…there isn't a scratch on him," Edd finished quietly, and they both returned Ed's stare.

He only grinned innocently in return.

"…I'd call that super regeneration or healing," Edd concluded. "It matches your overall dexterity well, Ed."

"Thank you very much!" he delightfully replied.

"So that's two for each of us? Sweet!" Eddy grinned.

_Well, they're taking this discovery well,_ Edd noted to himself. He would've asked them how, but he came up with a theory on his own and decided to bring it forward.

"Gentlemen…" he began, his voice growing low and slightly more serious. "…do either of you remember experiencing a… peculiar dream last night? Fluffy clouds, a mysterious voice…"

Ed and Eddy immediately turned their surprised gazes towards him, then each other, then back at him. Judging by the awkward silence, it sounded like he hit the mark dead on.

"…you guys had it too?" Ed broke the silence, though quietly.

Baffled, Eddy breathed out an exasperated sigh, rubbing his head. "…geez, I thought it was just a trippy dream from something I ate… Were we _seriously_ in each other's dreams?"

"Well, I _do_ remember Ed laughing at you for enjoying cloud dreams."

Eddy threw Edd an inward glare. "Out of _all_ the things for you to remember…"

Ed giggled. "…cottony clouds…"

"Shut up, Ed!"

Edd couldn't help but chuckle. "Sorry for that, but yes, that proves the fact that we all shared a mutual dream."

"And a lady called us Super Children!" Ed contributed to the conversation happily.

"Yes, I remember that as well," Edd nodded, growing thoughtful.

"And we're gonna be the world's only hope!"

Edd's gut wrenched uncomfortably, but he recovered quickly. "R-right, that too, among other cryptic comments…"

"Then there was that weird thing and you guys woke up, right?" Eddy ventured. "At, like, 2 AM?"

"Around that time, yes," Edd nodded again, perplexed by the entire, identical situation. "And then… well…"

"Our bodies adapted to the release of our powers!" Ed provided the answer, catching both of his friends' shocked gazes. Of course, the feeling didn't last long; there was no doubt the information from science fiction locked within Ed's brain would soon become much more useful in the days to come.

"…Right, exactly," Edd coughed.

"I remember it getting really hot for me," Eddy remarked. "Like my skin was on fire or something."

Ed giggled again. "I got a tickling feeling all over." He turned to their third companion. "What about you, Double D?"

"Ah…" Edd, a little embarrassed, rubbed the back of his neck. "…I… lost control of my head and… danced around my bathroom spouting non sequitors," he eventually admitted.

Eddy laughed in the loud, raucous way he was known for. "Oh, man, I wish I coulda been there to see _that!_"

"Wish you were here!" Ed chorused irrelevantly, joining Eddy in his merriment.

Edd replied with an displeased frown. "Ha, ha, quite the comedians we are today, aren't we?"

"Aww, come on, lighten up, Sockhead!"

"Lighten up? _Lighten up??_" Edd took on a tone that was nothing short of hysteric. "Do you _not_ understand the magnitude of the situation here??"

They each replied with a vacant stare.

"_We have __**superpowers!**_"

Ed gasped, as if hearing this news for the first time. "_No way!_"

Eddy, however, raised a brow. "Yeah, we _got_ that. Your point is…?"

Edd was well past conniptions at this point. "Eddy, we were discussing this _same exact _topic _yesterday_, and I remember _you_ saying it'll never happen to us, well, _**look at us now, Eddy!**_"

Eddy gave this thought, then grinned. "…oh, yeah, I did, didn't I? Wow, I must've jinxed it or something."

"Talk about ironing, huh, Eddy?"

Edd gaped at his friends with unimaginable incredulity, then, once again, gave up.

"…okay," he placidly started, massaging his temple. "Since you two are comPLETELY missing my point… we now need to plan a course of action."

Eddy made a face. "…Huh?"

Edd sighed in delicate patience. "You _are_ aware of what's in store for us, don't you?"

"…Oh, you mean the whole saving the world bit?" Eddy lost his air when he took that into consideration. "…oh, shoot, you're right. Where do we start…?"

Well, good, they were getting somewhere. Edd grew less frantic and more thoughtful. "Well… whatever's going to endanger the planet will certainly be noticeable to us…"

"So you're saying we just sit back and wait for something to happen?" Eddy questioned incredulously.

Edd held up his hands defensively. "I'm _saying_… we take the time to adapt to our situation before we're thrust into peril."

"Right, that's the same thing."

Edd visibly grimaced. "Okay, _fine!_ We sit back and wait for something to happen! Is there a _problem_ with that, Eddy??"

Taken aback by his biting response, Eddy shook his head. "N-no… I don't wanna go _looking_ for trouble, _that's_ for sure."

"_Exactly,_" Edd finally agreed.

"Um…Double D…"

"In the meantime, I'll research into any links to the 'Super Children,' although I think I'll have better luck in the school's computer lab cente…"

"Double D?"

"_What_, Ed?" Ed cringed at his harsh reply. "…S-sorry, Ed. Please go on."

"…What about the other kids?"

Another awkward silence.

"…oh, I don't know…" Edd didn't want to think anymore. His poor head ached. "Pretend nothing happened?"

Even Ed threw him a skeptic look.

"You _can't_ be serious, Double D," Eddy replied levelly.

"I don't _know_, okay?? I just _don't know!_"

Eddy contemplated his behavior, then came to a conclusion. "Wait, hang on, lemme take a wild guess…" he slyly interjected. "The girl, who was probably Nazz, looked at _you_, when _you_ looked at _her_, because _she_ was shocked by the fact that you were invisible for a few seconds."

Edd's gaze snapped up like an erratic squirrel's.

"Am I right?"

"What _are_ you, the _flirting police??_"

"Nope, but best friend fits the same bill."

"Oh, for heaven's sake…!"

Graciously, Eddy changed the subject. "Look, how about we avoid them for now?"

"Impossible. We have _classes_ with them."

"But they won't ask us during class, will they?"

Edd opened his mouth to rebuttal, but all that came out was a soft "…oh." He blinked. "…w-we'll have to tell them eventually…"

"Right. But _you're_ gonna do the research so _we_ know what's going on so we can _tell_ them."

Edd's stare at his pal was completely deadpan. "…right."

"Right!"

"Okay."

"Okay!"

"We've got a plan."

"Darn right we do!"

"Which is a good thing."

"You bet!"

"We're the man with the plan!" Ed jubilantly cheered, lifting his buddies into his colossal arms.

"…_men_," Edd emptily corrected him.

So they had a plan. A decent one, for now. Provided the thing that was supposed to _happen_ and launch them on their quest to save the world would be willing to hold off for a bit.

But things were never that ideal.

----------

A/N: Haha. I love writing dialogue. Can you tell? I'm the opposite of most people; dialogue is easier than description for me. Anyways… please don't bang on me if my science stuff here isn't TOTALLY accurate. The last thing I need are anal sci-fi nerds pointing out everything wrong with my logic. SHUT UP AND GO GET A GIRLFRIEND YOU LOSERS.

Anyways…I'm currently working on the next chappie, but it's a big one, so… be patient! Review in the meantime!


	5. Lockdown

A/N: Okay… Um… well… chapter 5! Here it comes! XD

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Chapter 5: Lockdown

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----

The next morning began as an uneventful Friday should. Just another boring school day for the students of Peach Creek Junior High. At least for most of them. Not so true for those who witnessed the strange events yesterday.

Thoughts of it went unspoken, but clearly hung in the air like toxic gas. The Eds could _feel_, without making eye contact with others, the questioning stares boring into them as they walked down the halls. They were trying to appear as casual as possible, as if nothing had happened, and were failing impressively at it.

"…Oh, who are we kidding?" Edd finally muttered when they were alone. "They all _saw_ us. It's only a matter of time before the interrogations begin."

"Would you _chill?_" Eddy chided. "We just gotta sidestep 'em like you said. Quit turning things into a big issue."

"…guys?"

"Oh, _I'm_ making this a big issue, am I? I apologize!"

"If you would just learn to _relax_…"

"Guys?"

"_What_, Ed??"

"_Shh!_" Ed clamped Eddy's lips tightly shut, pointing towards the administrative office counter they were approaching on their way to class. A large, foreign figure of a man stood before it, mumbling quietly, yet urgently, to the secretary.

Edd's eyes narrowed in confusion. "…Who…?"

"…oh, _great_," Eddy grumbled once Ed had released him. "He's probably one of those guys they'll hold an assembly for so he can try recruiting us into the army or marines or whatever."

Edd shook his head. "That's no US military uniform he's wearing, at least not one I recognize." He squinted from their distance, scrutinizing the man's get-up as best he could. "…Though there's no doubt he's a soldier of some sort… I hardly think that gun at his belt is legal in this state…"

"Whatever! Is he a threat or not?"

"I'm… not sure…"

Then, much to the spying friends' surprise, the man was let in past the counter through the side door.

"Huh? They're lettin' him in!" Eddy observed incredulously.

"To see the principal, no doubt," Edd added.

Ed bit his lip. "…guys… you think he's…"

"…It's a possibility."

"So what do we do?" Eddy anxiously questioned. "Sneak in and take him out?"

Edd seemed to miss the part where they already made the conclusion to resort to violence. He threw Eddy a strange look. "_What?_"

"Or do we wait for him to come out and _jump_ him?"

Edd sighed. "I don't think _either_ of those are good ideas."

"Ooh, I know! Let's go in there and _pinch_ him!"

There was a long pause as Edd and Eddy regarded their pal with the weirdest of looks.

"…Um… let's _not_, Ed," Edd suggested.

"Okay!" Ed beamed typically.

"Then what do we _do_, Einstein?" Eddy demanded, growing irritated.

Edd winced, holding the books in his arms closer to his chest. "…well…"

Eddy's face fell when he realized something. "…you want us to _wait_, don't you?"

Edd avoided his inward gaze, unsteadily glancing down the hall. "…our classes start soon, and…"

"Oh, _come on_, Double D!" Eddy bellowed, causing both of his friends to jump. "You _can't_ be serious! What if that guy's _it?_"

"And what if he's _not??_" Edd countered. "If we simply barge in, we'll only get into trouble!" When he received no protest, having made his point, he calmed down and continued. "Just stay on your toes. We'll _know_ when the time is right."

"Just like a superhero!"

"…Yes, Ed. Exactly like a…"

_Riiiiiiiing._

The Eds' gazes swiveled towards the school bell in the corner of the hall. Class started in one minute.

"Ooh, I _knew _it!" Edd cursed. "We're going to be late! _Again!_"

He broke into a futile run down the hallway, then screeched to a halt when he realized his chums weren't following. He turned to give them a lecture about the importance of class attendance and punctuality, but was left in mute befuddlement when he met Eddy's shrewd smirk.

They made eye contact, and Edd began to sweat.

"…Oh, don't even _think_ of…"

Too late. Eddy had already grabbed him and Ed in his dash, leaving skid marks in the floor. They reached their first period in record time.

----------

There first few classes were no problem. The worst the Eds got were piercing stares from the other, knowing kids. But at least their secret was safe, as long as the teacher kept talking until the bell, when they would nearly leap out of their seats in the most subtle escape to their next period.

Of course, they knew it wouldn't last long.

Edd refused to look _her_ in the eyes, even when he felt her gaze on him in English. When the pressure became too heavy, he politely excused himself from class. Only on with grades like his could do so without reason. Nazz watched him rush out of the classroom, concerned and suspicious at the same time.

The gazes Eddy was receiving had no concern in them, however. The combined stares of Rolf, Jonny, and Kevin were enough to truly work on his nerves, but he hid pretty well behind a pile of books. It worked for his teachers, and it did its job here too.

Ed, on the other hand, was less unnerved and more questioning. He had tried all night to talk to his baby sister the other day, but she had kept herself in her room with a threatening '_**do not disturb or else**_.' Now, whenever he spotted Sarah or her little friend Jimmy in the hallway, they swiveled and hurried down an alternative route. Ed was never one to catch on to subtle hints, but even he was getting the impression that they were _avoiding_ him. On purpose, too. Why, however, he couldn't begin to guess.

Their secret was safe… until lunchtime.

----------

From inside the poorly-lit computer lab center, Edd heard the noon bell go off, gazing up briefly before disregarding lunch for now and returning to his notes. Sat at one of the multiple computers, he was taking down key points from the multiple online articles (citing them, of course). He was quite surprised to find such information; he expected the 'Super Children' to be a little more elusive than this. It seemed some weren't afraid to advertise their abilities to the world. Fleetingly, he wished he had their courage.

Over a half hour of research had brought him enough data already, but he conducted one last web search, looking for one last link that piqued his interest.

"Let's see…" he muttered to himself, eyeing the keyboard in front of him. "…Hall… of… Supers… Academy…" he typed it out, hit enter, and waited. Its homepage popped up as instantly as the outdated modem allowed.

"…Hmm. Alright, then." He jotted down a few more notes, including a certain name that kept popping up in his research.

"Vull Stalwart…" Edd murmured it aloud. "Formally known as Vull Nurible…" He tapped his pencil to his chin thoughtfully. "…wonder what triggered the need for a name change."

The thought was placed at the back of his head as he glanced up at the glowing monitor, where the academy's emblem caught his eye. A dynamic 'S' dominated the symbol, royal blue in color, and behind it curved an elegant 'H,' dark green like ivy fingers.

"…strange." It seemed odd to give it such an adjective, but it was the first one that came to Edd's mind. "Where have I seen this before?"

It didn't take him long to figure it out. To his dismay, he realized it to be the same emblem that decorated the uniform of the soldier they saw that morning.

A _bad_ feeling started to brew in the pit of his stomach.

"…oh, _dear_."

----------

Aw, _man_. It just _had_ to be Pizza Day. The best day of the week. It even came with salad and a side of cold green beans. Like Eddy would ever eat those, but still. The pizza was worth it.

Problem was, everybody that had been eyeballing him all morning was occupying the cafeteria. They looked casual enough as they munched on pepperoni pizza, but Eddy knew they were ready to attack him on sight now that no teachers were hovering over their shoulders.

Even still… that pizza they were shoving into their faces looked so darn appetizing, and it was only served once in a blue moon…

…stupid lunch ladies. They were conspiring against him, he knew it. He always knew their meals would be the death of him someday, but he never imagined it like this.

Oh well.

In a gesture of perhaps bravery (but more likely kamikaze), Eddy pushed the door open and stepped into the cafeteria.

Much to his surprise, no one spoke up, even when they clearly noticed him enter. As nonchalantly as he could manage, which wasn't saying much, Eddy retrieved his lunch and sat down at an empty table, warily watching his back the whole time. When he was settled, he lowered his guard in mild relief, lifting the flimsy pizza crust to delightfully pop into his mouth.

"DORKY!"

His jaw clamped down in panic, and he turned to face judgment with a piece of pizza halfway submerged past his lips. Very dignifying.

----------

Pizza wasn't going to catch Ed's attention today, not now. For once, his mind was set on a clear mission.

This mission had led him to the library, where he was strolling through the shelves, pretending to look for a book. After careful searching, however, he found what he was really looking for in the space between the books: the tops of a mop of apricot and a pale cowlick.

Upon his discovery, however, they quickly disappeared, and his gaze followed their movement until he saw Sarah and Jimmy quickly depart back into the hall.

Darn! They spotted him! For a minute, Ed wished he had his friend's power of invisibility instead.

But maybe he just wasn't being forceful enough.

With a new self-motivation, Ed followed suit and left the library, hurrying down a few hallways before he found them again. When they spotted him, the jumped like frightened rabbits and attempted to flee again.

But a zap of ZPE prevented them from doing so this time.

----------

Edd grew increasingly concerned the more links he clicked on. None of them provided the information he needed, like what a school for Super Children would need soldiers for, and he was becoming afraid they'd barge in, somehow catching onto his snooping, and… do what soldiers do best.

That thought made his eyes snap back and forth between the computer screen and the door uneasily.

When he returned to the Hall of Supers' home page after another fruitless search, he found that there was one link he had yet to open. It was below the portrait image of Vull Stalwart, the firm dean of the institution and an older man with an imposing lean face.

Edd was genuinely afraid to progress, the picture's gaze boring into him, tantalizing him to click and proceed. Did _he_ have superpowers? Could he be watching him with those same gray-toned eyes, waiting in cyberspace to leap out of the screen once he dared to continue?

It took a moment before Edd realized how silly that sounded. Really, now. That's something to be more expected from Ed.

Regaining sensibility, Edd moved the mouse slowly, ready to click on the man's name…

----------

Before he could fully grasp what was going on, Eddy found himself slammed up against the wall in a cliché gesture of intimidation. But however cliché it was, it worked; he was forced to stare right into Kevin's agitated gaze as the jock held him up by the shirt. Eddy was about ready to wet himself.

"_Well?_" he demanded. "Any last words?"

Eddy aimlessly fished for some, noticing how Rolf and Jonny were not too far away, looking on anxiously.

"…L-look, whatever they told you, it ain't true, honest to…!"

"I don't _care_ about that!" Kevin pounded his back against the wall again as a punctuation. "This is about that stupid chocolate scam! Where's my refund??"

Eddy blinked. He had forgotten all about that. "…oh… uh…"

"Pay up, dorky! Or else!"

It was a simple command, and at this point, Eddy would do anything to get out of this mess. But it seemed Kevin wasn't willing to give him a chance to, as he already drew back a fist to begin the pummeling…

----------

Ed didn't let go of Sarah or Jimmy until they promised they wouldn't run away anymore. Which took some time, of course, since he couldn't understand why they weren't responding until he let the ZPE go.

Now they stood before him, trapped with their backs to the lockers and facing a look that rarely crossed Ed's face: one not of anger, but of fierce determination. They weren't going to escape until he got what he wanted.

Anyone would be able to see the irony of this situation, the switched roles between the two entities. But Ed was too focused to notice, which was also a paradox all its own.

"…Sarah."

At the quiet but very firm call, his little sister jumped while Jimmy squeezed impossibly closer to her.

"…W-what, Ed?"

There were a lot of ways Ed could've articulated his anxiety and confusion, but, as expected, he did so in the simplest way possible, with one tiny little word.

"_Why?_"

----------

_**WOOP. WOOP. WOOP. WOOP.**_

At that moment, the entire school chimed with an alarm that was barely recognizable; its last use was during a drill, after all.

However, it did its job at catching everyone's attention either way. It prevented Edd from further his studying, but it also averted a beating on Eddy's behalf and the difficult explanation to a simple-minded Ed.

The following message proceeded to broadcast across the campus' PA system:

"_Good afternoon, students, this is your principal speaking. Yes, that was the lockdown signal, and no, this is not a drill. All classroom doors are to be locked and all students are to remain in their currant locations until otherwise directed. As of now, a group of military personnel are making their rounds in search for three unknown breaches of school security. But no need to worry, of course. If you give them your full cooperation, they will safely escort you out of the building. Yes, that means school ends early for the weekend. I hope you're all happy. _

"_Whatever you do, don't panic. Your safety is priority number one with these men; it's their job, after all. They wouldn't dream of hurting innocent children, so don't use a misfired bullet wound story as an excuse for not doing your homework due on Monday. I'm talking to you, Eddy._

"_That is all._"

The message ended.

And, of course, everyone knows that when someone says _not_ to panic, that's exactly what everyone _does_. It was an unwritten rule, almost.

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A/N: Awkward approach to a cliffhanger, I know. All this plot-wise may seem a little amateurish, but this is my first time trying this whole superhero thing… I'm so much better at fantasy, I know it. XD

Okay! Inside this chapter was a group of lyrics to an Aquabats song. If you can point it out, you get a free request picture from me as a prize! …within my limits of fanart, of course. This is me just making writing a little more interactive. XD

Review, as always! The next chappie'll be a killer for me to work on. XD


	6. Shots

A/N: Awwwwww, crap. x.x I TOTALLY have been neglecting this. So bad. Maybe the fact that no one reviewed the last chapter had something to do with it… (rubs chin thoughtfully) Oh wells. Time to move on. Onwards to chapter 6! OH, and thanks to In the Beginning for helping me with some of the writing. :)

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Chapter 6: Shots

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--

--

_Oh, this is _not_ good, this is bad, this is _more _than bad, this is terrible, this is absolutely terrible, 'no need to worry,' HA, yeah right…!_

Edd chose to keep his panic to himself, but was still making a ruckus, ruffling papers, stuffing them into his pack, and tripping over the rolling chair legs more than once.

Military personnel. Searching for three 'breaches of security.' It didn't take him long to put the pieces together.

_They're hunting us down, attempting to enroll us in the school, what kind of enrollment is this, is it supposed to be a test, what happens if we don't pass, oh dear, oh dear…!_

When he hit the floor again, he sat up and took a deep, deep breath.

"…okay…" he breathed, rubbing his temple. "Calm yourself, Double D… only a steady head will get you out of this…"

And then it came to him.

_Yes… I'll simply have to escape… Ed and Eddy will know to do the same… we'll escape and I'll explain everything._

It sounded so simple, but Edd was not so quick to believe that, even as he threw on his pack and vanished.

"Alright, Double D…" he whispered to himself. "You can do this… if you're careful, they won't notice you…"

Carefully, he pushed the door open and stepped out of the computer lab and into the treacherous hallways.

"…you can do this… you can do this… you can do this…"

As he crept on, his voice faltered and silenced, but the same message played back in his head, the only thing keeping him from breaking into a panicked run.

_You can do this… you can do this… you can do oh good lord who's that down the hall?_

He was grateful his blush was hidden.

--

A sense of anxiety was also gripping the cafeteria, understandably, of course. A few had spotted the soldiers outside the windows, forming lines to storm the campus as if searching for a terrorist.

"Wow, way cool!" Jonny seemed to be the only one missing the magnitude of the situation. "We're under attack by the military! Never a dull moment here, huh, Plank?"

Rolf, however, was frantic, grabbing Jonny by the arms. "Has the world gone _crazy?_ Why are the men of the service invading out institute of education??" He shook the clueless boy back and forth. "Rolf asks you!"

"I bet it's all the _Eds'_ fault!" Kevin instantly accused, shooting a dangerous finger in Eddy's direction.

"_What??_" Eddy glared back with a mixture of annoyance and confusion. "You can't be serious! What did _we_ do??"

"Sold that mystery meat, that's what! I knew that stuff was radioactive!"

"Hey! Blame the lunch ladies on that one! It's not _my_ fault that poor excuse for meat is inedible!"

"Who cares?? You dorks still sold it, so it's _your_ fault! Admit it and I'll leave less bruises!"

"…Um, guys?"

Go ahead and try me, boxhead! You'll be in for a rude awakening!"

"You'll be the one awakening next _Tuesday_ when I'm done with you!"

"Guys?"

"_**What??**_" Kevin and Eddy turned and shrieked at Jonny in unison. They paused, glared at each other, then looked away again.

"What is it, Jonny-the-wood-boy?"

"I don't think the chocolate's the reason they're here," the bald kid stated, his tone still inappropriately casual.

"What're you talking about?" Kevin replied, not noticing that Eddy was beginning to sweat. "You mean it ain't the meat?"

Jonny shook his large head. "Nope. Plank says you're half right, though. Remember all the weird things that happened with the Eds yesterday?"

Kevin and Rolf began to muse on this; he had a good point. Eddy's lightening-quick getaway, Edd's disappearing trick… and who knew what the lump of an Ed did. Nobody dared to ask Sarah or Jimmy what happened.

If Eddy's murderous glare was meant to stop Jonny from continuing, it failed spectacularly.

"If I had to take a wild guess, it'd have to be superpowmmph!"

Even with Eddy's newfound speed, he hadn't clamped Jonny's mouth shut fast enough. It was too late. They _knew_.

And now they were staring at him with gazes twice as piercing as before.

_Great…_ he inwardly grumbled to himself. _Took them long enough to figure it out._ Still, he wasn't looking forward to the upcoming interrogation.

"…so it _is_ you!" Kevin regained his hostile expression, dragging Eddy close by the collar of his shirt. "They _are_ here for you freaks! I _knew_ it!"

"I-I don't know anything, seriously!" Eddy blubbered.

"Liar! Rolf, help me out here!"

"…Sorry, Kevin-boy, but Rolf believes the paperweight Ed-boy is telling the truth."

"_What?_"

"Yeah, the weird stuff didn't start happening until yesterday, so…"

Kevin briefly turned his irritation towards the bald kid. "Stay out of this, Jonny!"

"Rolf still fails to understand what the governing force would want with the suddenly-abnormal Ed-boys."

"Duh, Rolf! They've got superpowers! The government _always_ captures weird stuff like that to experiment on!"

Having just about enough, Kevin swiveled back angrily. "Would you quit calling it superpowers? That's _really_ weird!"

"But that's what they've got now! Superpowers!"

"Who, exactly?"

The tension in the room shriveled up and died in the presence of that gruff, cold voice, and the four boys went absolutely silent.

After a few seconds of dead air, they made slow turns to one of the cafeteria's doorways, and there stood a set of four troopers, fully armed and fully dangerous, judging by the leader's toothy smirk. More than one of the kids nearly wet themselves at that grin; good thing their helmets' visors covered their mad eyes.

"Cooperate and no one gets hurt," he drawled smugly, hefting his gun as punctuation. "At least, no one important. Which one of you has the superpowers?"

Without missing a beat, Kevin, Rolf, and Jonny took two steps away from Eddy and pointed his way.

"…I hate you guys."

--

In theory, the level of panic is directly proportional to the "drama" in the situation, multiplied by the insecurity of the party in question and divided by the amount of level-headedness.

With this equation in mind, Jimmy was in absolute hysterics. He had enough panic in him for all three of them. Instead, Ed and Sarah opted to watching him run in circles like a beheaded chicken. (_hehe, chicken,_ Ed chuckled to himself).

"Jumping Jehosephat, what are these men doing here, they've all got big guns and other nasty things, we're _goners_, oh, what do we do, what if we don't make it out alive, what if I miss my soaps…!" Cue the big gasp. "_What if they fire at us and a stray bullet tears through my cowlick??_ AAAAaaaaaahhh…"

_Thwump. _

Sarah wasn't sure whether to be impressed or not. This was expected behavior from her friend, but he _did_ manage to bawl his eyes out, blubber about his paranoia, _and_ faint, almost all in one breath.

She jumped out of that fleeting thought when she noticed that Ed had moved in beside her. He eyed the lying youth curiously, then turned to his sister with a puzzled look.

"What's Jimmy doing on the floor?"

Sarah's cold demeanor switched on as an automatic response. "He fainted, stupid."

Ed cocked his head to the side. "How come?"

"Because we're being _invaded by soldiers_, you idiot!"

"…Oh." Ed rolled this around in his head for a minute. Then another. Then he remembered something. And then he grinned.

"Fear not, young ones!" he boldly proclaimed, grabbing the other two and shoving them up his shirt. "Super Ed shall protect you from the military assault!"

"Urgh! _ED!_"

His foul body odor was enough to awaken Jimmy out of his comatose state, and he began to writhe about blindly though Ed's attire like a frightened mole. "Sarah?? Where are you??"

Ed was giggling. "Hehe. You tickle, Jimmy."

"Jimmy! Don't move! I'll find you!"

"Heehee, Sarah, quit it! Hahahahaha!"

"_Freeze, Chuckles!_"

At that command, the ruffling in Ed's clothes halted immediately.

"…hee… hehe…"

Ed's giggling slowly wore down as Sarah and Jimmy poked their heads out, each from one jacket sleeve.

What they saw was another group of four soldiers before them, their large forms effectively barricading the hallway. Their leader appeared to take no guff from uncooperative subjects; his gun was already raised as a clear warning to the children not to take any chances.

And, of course, Ed failed to take the hint.

"Hiya, soldier guys!" he waved to them delightfully, unknowingly propelling Jimmy out of his sleeve. Sarah slowly slid out of the other and thumped ungracefully on the floor. The two scrambled to their feet, hiding behind Ed, whose form appeared a lot less imposing than before, being compared to the six-foot hunks of _man power_ a few feet away.

The leader jumped at Ed's greeting, tightening the grip on his weapon. "_Calm down!_" he unnecessarily shouted, his voice shrill and unstable. "Just… stay where you are and no one gets hurt!"

"Y'know what would be really nice?" Ed threw out the question. "If you don't shoot us. Yup."

"_Don't try me, kid!_" the soldier shrieked. "_I'm warning you!_ Now, do you got superpowers or not??"

"Ooh! Ooh! I do!" Ed eagerly waved his arms about.

"Ed, you lunkhead!"

Ed's giddy hopping aggravated the soldier to no end. And when it got to that point, there was no turning back. He was known for that sort of explosive behavior.

--

Nazz had her eyes shut tight. She wasn't sure what had just happened, and she wasn't too keen on finding out.

She could've sworn she was alone in the school hallways, trying to find a way out, or a soldier, perhaps, hoping they could escort her out like the principal promised. It was a risky assumption, but Nazz was never one to second guess an option in such a situation.

In short, one moment she was walking down the hall, the next she was on the floor, up against the lockers. It felt like she had been tackled. But by who?

Whomever it was, they apparently didn't wish to bring her harm, or else they would've already dealt it. However, she _did_ feel a sweaty hand clasping her wrist. When she felt brave enough, she opened her eyes to find…

…no one.

Baffled, it took her a minute of thought before she looked down at herself. But she saw nothing but the titled floor beneath her.

"…What--!" A slight pressure landed on her lips, stopping her question dead in its tracks. Was the same person who had tackled her trying to keep her quiet as well? A shiver of fear crawled up her spine.

Soon, the pressure lessened, and she heard an otherworldly, feathery sound beside her. She turned to meet a familiar face, one that was comforting and not at the same time.

The comforting bit was that she recognized it to be Double D, and his expression reflected the same kind of fear she was feeling. The unnerving part, however, was that all she could see of him were the tip of his lean shoulders up. His torso was faded, and his head appeared to be suspended before her. But Nazz thought better than to ask.

A disembodied hand raised a finger up to his lips, and a quiet "shh" eased the tension between them somewhat.

He glanced downwards, and she followed his gaze. They were looking at nothing at first, but then, with another soft feathery sound, something began to materialize: a pair of hands, one holding the other in a protective grasp. Then they disappeared again.

Okay, she understood part of it now. Somehow, Edd was making them both invisible, to hide them. But from what?

Uncertainly, her gaze trained back on him. He was sweating, that was understandable, and a slight pink tinted his pale cheeks, but they were always like that when she was around him. But the _look_ he was giving her, that's what caught her attention. Nazz was so used to seeing those brilliant eyes cast away from her in shyness, which he _did_ do a few seconds later, but briefly, there was a sense of assertiveness gleaming in them that couldn't help but ease her fears further.

In any case, Edd was most likely smart enough to know what he was doing, so she gave him her trust with a confirming nod. Demurely (as usual), he gave off a tiny sideways smile at her before they both vanished to the naked eye.

Apparently, the shift was well-timed, as urgent footsteps began to echo down the hall she would've embarked down. Who was it? Other students? What if it was the 'breaches of security' the principal mentioned? Was that what Edd was protecting her from? It seemed so, as she felt him tense up beside her. Neither of them moved a muscle.

…until the figures turned down their way, where they could be identified.

_Soldiers! Finally!_ Nazz moved to get up, but was held back firmly by the arms. She tried to squirm away, but for some reason, Edd would not let her, tightening his grip.

_Double D, are you nuts??_ she thought irately to herself. _They can help us get out of here! What are you doing??_

She waited for him to come to a realization, but he wouldn't budge, leaving her to watch the soldiers walk past them. Had he truly lost his marbles? Or was there something he knew that she didn't?

Before she could further contemplate it, she nearly jumped out of her skin. One of the soldiers had tripped over her foot. In one tight movement, Nazz found herself staring down the long barrel of a gun. She would've screamed had not Edd reached over and clamped her mouth shut.

For one terrifying second, Edd and Nazz sat impossibly still. For one terrifying second they didn't dare to _breathe_. Death was staring them in the face, the first time for the two innocent adolescents, whose lives were nothing but normal days ago. It hit Edd worse, however, as it dawned on him that this was probably going to happen to him much more often in the future.

One second felt like an eternity, but even after the soldier turned away when he was called, the two refused to make any sudden movements.

"What is it, soldier?"

"…I tripped over something, sir."

As they continued, Edd's free hand (the one not keeping Nazz quiet) slowly ghosted into his pack, searching. His eyes remained fixed on them, waiting for an opportunity.

"And what made you think that was a good excuse to pull out your weapon?"

"…I thought it may have been one of the Super Children ambushing us, sir."

_Well, that proves it. They _are_ here for us,_ Edd concluded to himself, biting his lips as he poked around. _Come on, where is it…_

"And what would you have done had it been a Super Child? Shoot?"

The solider did not reply.

"We've been given strict orders. Lord Vull wants the Super Children _alive_. And you being trigger-happy won't help with that, will it?"

"…No, sir."

Edd paused briefly. _There's that name again… Lord Vull Stalwart… So, the dean himself is in charge of these…_ His thought was interrupted when he found what he was looking for. _Ah, there!_ Carefully, he placed the inconspicuous object on the floor before him.

"…And look." Just like Edd wanted, the superior officer noticed it and picked it up to show his subordinate. "All that paranoia over a pencil." He dropped it back carelessly.

Humiliated, the other turned away. "…sorry, sir."

"Don't let it happen again."

"Yes, sir…"

It was apparent as they walked away the solider had suffered a bruised ego, but it made no difference to Edd. He watched them disappear down the hall before he deemed it safe, letting out a deep sigh of relief.

"…They're gone," he breathed out, turning to his side. "Are you alright, Nazz?"

With his focus back on her, he finally noticed that his hand, still clapped on her mouth, was awfully damp. When he triggered their visibility on, he learned the dampness came from rivers of tears running down from her terrified, enraged eyes.

_…Not good._

"…N…Nazz…?"

"Mmph!... Get… _offa me!_" Furiously, she pushed him away, to the point where he fell back ungracefully upon his butt. Rubbing his sore rear end, Edd fearfully glanced up at her, sensing the same hatred from before, tenfold. So, of course, the timid demeanor he usually adapted around her resurfaced, now that the danger was over.

_…why does she have to be so darn attractive? Even while angered? It's so unfair._

"…erm… is… s-something…"

"Wrong? Oh, you _bet_ there is!" Nazz snapped, causing Edd to flinch. "For somebody so smart, you sure are an idiot!"

That struck a heavy chord. Genuinely hurt, Edd slowly got to his feet, hands on his sternum. "…wh…what do you…"

"I was _looking_ for the soldiers! They would've escorted us out! What were you _thinking??_"

Edd was baffled. "I… you… didn't seem to mind…at first…"

"Because I _thought _you were protecting me from what they're here for in the first place!"

…Of course. She couldn't have known anything. No wonder she was so afraid. Ashamed, Edd averted his gaze.

For a rare moment, Nazz interpreted his look accurately, and that's when she figured it out.

"…it's you."

Edd grimaced.

"They're here for you, aren't they?" she softly demanded, raising a shaky finger of confirmation. "You, Ed, and Eddy… it's those weird… new powers of yours, isn't it?"

Edd found it hard to speak. "…that… may have something to do with it…"

Before he could so much as turn back to her, he felt one hand grab and pull on his collar while the other delivered a sharp slap to the side of his face, snapping his head to the side. It stung in more ways than one.

"You _**CREEP!**_" Nazz shrieked, pulling him closer by the shirt to yell right into his stupefied face. "I could've been safe at home right now! But _you_ had to hide me from the guys hunting _you_ down! Thanks a lot, you jerk!"

"N-Nazz, please, it's not what you thi-UNF!" When she shoved him against the lockers, all boyish nervousness left him for the moment, replaced by pure fear.

"Not what _I_ think, huh?? That what is it?? Tell me _that_, Double D!"

"…I…I-I… Nazz, I-I can't…"

"_What do you mean you __**can't??**_"

"I-I just…!" Edd could barely reply. He never thought this would happen to _him_, and it was wear and tear on his heart.

"I almost got_ killed_ because of you!"

In his anguish, Edd grew defensive. "H-hey, now, I was the one to save you!"

"You wouldn't have _had_ to if they weren't _here_ for you!"

"I was _worried_ about you! Doesn't that count for _something?_"

"Not when it's _your fault!_"

A wall of anger was set up between them, and it was more than Edd could bear to take. He moved to escape from Nazz's clutches, but she took the gesture the wrong way and once again shoved him into the wall.

"_Don't touch me!_ You… you _**freak!**_"

There it was. The f-word. Edd had a bad history with that word. And somehow, that made it the worst blow of all.

As he downcast his dreary eyes, even Nazz began to cool down. Maybe… maybe that was a bit harsh.

"…Nazz…" Edd moaned. "Please, just… listen…"

He didn't wait for her reply before continuing, a dry sob escaping his throat in between his pained words.

"I… I can't tell you what's going on…" He heavily lifted his hurt gaze, sobbing. "…b-because I have _no idea._ I don't know _why_ they're here or _why_ they want us or what is Sam Hill's name is happening, namely to _me_, I just got these powers _yesterday_, I don't know what I'm doing, what I _should_ be doing, what I…!"

He gasped, holding himself and realizing he was shaking madly. He took a moment to recover, one Nazz thankfully didn't interrupt. It was rare she ever saw him this far into a breakdown and actually _cared_.

Sighing, he bulked up the nerve to look at her again. Tentatively, he rested an assertive hand on her shoulder, and she didn't pull away.

"But… what I _do_ know is…" Suddenly, his face lost all color.

"…is what?"

"…is _that guy's going to __**SHOOT US!**_"

Nazz barely had time to turn halfway. The soldier from before was back.

--

At the same time, in three different wings of Peach Creek Junior High, three shots were simultaneously fired, echoing ominously throughout the building. Each bullet's target was one of the three Super Children they were sent to capture.

Later, the HAS Army would regret not double-checking their specialized weapons and switching them to the Stun Laser, specially designed for zapping the Super Children into submission. Especially after receiving huge scoldings and pay cuts from the dean of the school.

Three shots were fired, shots that would've killed any normal 12-year-old. But their targets were anything _but_ normal 12-year-olds. They were being seriously underestimated.

--

A/N: AUUUUUGH MY GOD. WHY AM I SO PERSISTENT WITH THESE AWKWARD CLIFFHANGERS. I AM A HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE PERSON.

Yeah… sorry. The entire lockdown would've been too long a chapter for our attention spans. XD And yes. Did I forget to tell you this fic would become eventual Edd/Nazz? …crap, I didn't. Well… it will. And I don't care what YOU think, because I think they're adorable and he deserves her the most! So there! (is bricked)

Anyways… chapter 7 is in the works. Along with my two projects for Finals and a research paper. XD Wish me luck. And review. OR ELSE. (aims at you)


	7. Escape

A/N: W00t! I really got on the ball with this one! PRIASE ME! 8D So… time to kill the cliffhanger! Onto the chapter! …oh, and yes, there's an intentional trend with the beginning of each scene. Just to let you know.

--

Chapter 7: Escape

--

--

--

_BAM._

One shot was fired in the cafeteria. It shocked everyone, including the soldiers. But not as much as its result.

The bullet was lodged into the wall, missing its target completely. Where Eddy stood not a second before was nothing but empty space, cut from the bullet's path.

"…What the…?"

The soldier who made the shot looked around in confusion, turning in hopeless circles until he noticed the weight on his shoulder. Pausing, he swiveled his neck back and turned to face a very shrewd grin, like a Cheshire cat.

"Missed me, sucker."

After that equally shrewd line, the soldier only saw a pink blur, but clearly felt a fist slam against his face with incredible power. The blow made him see white, then black.

Kevin, Rolf, and Jonny watched with unbridled incredulity as the soldier hit the ground with a heavy thud. Eddy landed nearby with a surprising lack of effort. He couldn't help but flash them a most cocky smirk before turning back to the other, alarmed soldiers.

"You want some? You wanna piece o' this??" he taunted, raising a challenging finger. "Bring it on! I'll take you all out!"

They were big words from a big mouth, something the others had learned to expect from Eddy. But they realized, as the soldiers advanced to attack, that he was now capable of upholding those words.

Dodging their charge would be excruciatingly easy, and Eddy had an audience to impress. So he stood there nonchalantly as the three remaining soldiers approached, and at just the right moment, he sped to one side, then swept swiftly behind their feet. The spectators cringed as the soldiers ungracefully fell hard on their backs as if slipping on ice.

"Woohoo! Go, Eddy, go!" Jonny cheered as the one-sided brawl continued.

"Hot-shot Eddy is moving faster than Nana's shoe on bath night!" Rolf exclaimed, applauding as Eddy ran over their exposed, perfectly lined up stomachs, knocking the wind out of them. "Bravo! An impressive maneuver!"

"…oh man…" Kevin grimaced when Eddy drop kicked one of them upside the head, effectively knocking him out. As the battle was quickly drawing to a close, the jock gradually came to the realization that his days of beating up the little dork were over.

"And… _bam!_" Eddy bashed the last two skulls together, and the two soldiers flopped on top of each other in a pile.

Then the room went silent. The once weak little Eddy had his back turned to his clearly impressed audience as he surveyed his handiwork, putting his hands on his hips.

"Well…" he sighed in satisfaction. "By the looks of things…" He turned to face them with a victorious grin. "…I think it's safe to say you guys _totally_ owe me."

Kevin glared, disagreeing. "In your dreams, dork." It took him a minute to realize his cohorts were no longer at his side. "..huh? …oh, you gotta be kidding me!"

"Woo! That was _too cool_, Eddy! Even Plank was impressed! And that's saying something!"

"Heh, well, _anything_ to get the floorboard's approv-ACK!"

"ED BOY!" Rolf opted to grabbing and lifting Eddy in a monster of a grateful hug. "You have saved this humble son-of-a-shepherd! Remind Rolf to grant you a full barrel of Nano's candied beets if we ever escape these patrolled halls!"

"Uh… sure, thanks, Rolf…" Eddy muttered as he squirmed out of the tight embrace.

"Gimme a break…" Kevin grumbled, scuffing his shoes on the floor. It was obvious Eddy's newly-garnered powers (and attention) didn't thrill him too much. "So what now, huh?"

Eddy gave him an odd look. "What?"

"Those guys aren't gonna be out for long, dork," Kevin elaborated, crossing his arms. "And more of 'em will come. So what do we _do_, huh, mister _superhero?_" The last word he muttered through clenched teeth, still not used to its usage.

"…uh…" For a minute, Eddy was stumped. Then, something clicked, and it came to him. "…we make like babies and head out, that's what."

"Babies…" Jonny snickered. "Hehe, I get it."

"That's it? That's your plan?" Kevin questioned incredulously.

"Pretty much! Ed and Double D are probably doing the same, so we'll meet 'em up at the front doors and escape to the cul-de-sac."

"Whoa, wait a sec!" Kevin argued. "Aren't they hunting for _you_ dorks? What makes you think we'll be safer with _you??_"

"Do not speak such nonsense, Kevin-boy!" Rolf protested, shoving a finger into Eddy's chest. "The greased-lightening Ed-boy saved our skins from the trigger-happy men of military, and will most likely do so again should we cross paths with more of them!"

"They weren't even _aiming_ for us!"

"Well, you never know when they could!" Jonny winced at Kevin's irritated, scowling reply. "…just saying…"

"Okay…" Eddy stepped in. "I'd hate to admit it… and I mean I'd _really_ hate to admit it…" He jacked a backwards thumb in Kevin's direction. "…but Shovel-chin's got one point, And that's if we don't get moving, more soldiers will start flooding the cafeteria. And if we _start_ moving, we might as well head for the exit, right?"

"Makes sense to me!"

"Yah! Rolf agrees!"

"…hmmp. I guess…"

_Finally_. It was about time _someone_ agreed with something he said. "Alright, then! Hop on! I'll get us out in no time!"

"Woohoo!" Jonny cheered, hopping on one shoulder. "We're breaking out in _style_, Plank!"

"Pedal to the metal, Ed-boy!" Rolf leaped on his back, kicking his waist until he noticed the grunts of pain. "…oh. Sorry, Ed-boy."

Kevin tentatively settled on the other shoulder, saving face with another glare. "If you drop me, I'll drop _you_ on your _head_."

"I'd like to see you try."

Before Kevin could come up with a retort, they were off.

--

_BAM._

Another shot was fired in an upstairs hallway. It generated two screams, a terribly shaken shooter, and a grisly result.

The bullet hit its mark straight on, and he gaped at the impeccable force slamming into his sternum and breaking through. Ed usually had a very high tolerance for pain, but even he could acknowledge this as something that undeniably _hurt_.

The force of the blow knocked him off his feet, and there was a small tremor when he hit the floor flat on his back, exposing his nasty chest wound. The first scream came from Sarah. Jimmy's was soon to follow.

"_ED!_" In a very rare moment of sibling compassion, the sister of the stricken boy nearly collapsed at his side. "Omigosh, Ed! Ed, _no!_"

Jimmy was terribly shaken. _He… he's been shot… he's been actually… shot…!_ He fell to his knees at the horrid reality, his hands clamped on his own mouth to keep from vomiting.

It seemed to do its job of snapping the erratic soldier from his enraged trance, and the long gun shook in his hands.

"…idiot," one of his cohorts growled. "One of the Super Children dead. Lord Vull's not gonna like that."

But then men garnered no attention from the kids. Jimmy was on the verge of tears, but Sarah was already there, failing to bite them back as she roughly shook her fallen brother desperately.

"_Ed!_ No, Ed, don't you _dare_ die on me!" she demanded, lifting him up by his jacket, only for his head to slump backwards lifelessly on his neck. The gesture was less than encouraging to Sarah, who was now uninhibitly sobbing.

"_Listen_ to me, you _lunkhead!_" she shrieked into his eerily tranquil face. "Don't die on me! If you die, I'll… I'll… _**I'll tell Mom!**_"

It was as if those were the three magic words that broke the spell. Ed's eyes shot open, and he straightened up in terror. "No! Don't tell Mom, Sarah! Anything but that!"

Time froze. To call the overall emotion in the room _shock_ would be the understatement of the century.

Sarah, eyes wide as dinner plates, holding what she thought seconds ago to be her dead older brother, did the only thing she could think of doing. She screamed.

Ed began to scream too as they leaped away from each other, scared for the strangest of reasons. Then Jimmy began to scream for the sake of screaming, and even one of the soldiers joined in until another smacked him upside the head.

After a few more seconds of screaming, it ended as abruptly as it had begun, and the hallway was met with silence again.

_Thwump._

Ed broke the tension by grinning idiotically. "Hey, Jimmy's on the floor again!"

"_ED!_" He jumped at the shrill cry, looking down to find Sarah grasping him by the shirt. What was she crying for? "You're… you're _alive!_"

"…um…" Confused, Ed nodded. "Y-yeah… I _think_ I am…"

"Y… you're… how… how can you still be alive??"

"Because you told me not to die," Ed replied simply, baffled by his sister's behavior. He listened, he did what he was told, so hwy was she freaking out? "…didn't you?"

"_Yes I did!_" Sarah nearly shrieked, nothing short of hysterical. "But _**how??**_"

Ed gave her a very strange look, shaking his head uncertainly. "…I don't get it. Why are you…?"

He froze after he slowly looked down, finally noticing the dark stain on his shirt.

"…_ohhhhhh_…" When understanding dawned on him, he broke into a knowing grin. "_That's_ why…!" He began to chuckle at the irony only he understood, then winced when it generated forgotten pain through his chest. "…_owww_…"

"E-Ed!" Graciously, Sarah caught him before he could slump over, clutching his injury with a deep cringe. "A-are you okay??"

"…still hurts…" he strained, but then suddenly paused, his brain clicking. "…oh! I know why."

Sarah barely noticed Jimmy awaken next to her; the two of them were much more interested in watching Ed. Casually, he curled a finger out and zapped his wound with zero-point energy, then made a repetitive pulling motion, grimacing at each tug. Finally, after some effort, there came the last tug that left him shortly out of breath, but he soon lifted the light from his finger up to eye level. And there, suspended between him and his stupefied spectators, hovered the bullet that had struck him, removed with perfection.

As he stared at it, a nerdy smile crept onto his goofy face. "…_cool_."

Sarah said nothing. Jimmy backed up her silence with a barely audible, inhaled squeak.

When Ed glanced back down at his chest, however, his smile dropped. "Huh?" He touched perfectly-mended skin with his free hand, pouting in disappointment. Even the stain in his shirt was gone. "Aw, man… I don't even get a cool scar? That's so lame…"

"…" Jimmy was speechless. "…it… it's…"

"…gone…" Sarah finished, equally stunned.

"_Alright, that's quite enough!_" a shrill voice bellowed, bringing their attention back to the soldiers. The leader had once again tried to maintain control, but he looked ready to pop a blood vessel any second.

"Yeah, it is…" Finally, one of the others stepped up beside him with a gesture of dismissal. "…for you, Sergeant. You, Super Kid. Come with us."

"Wha… _how dare you undermine me!_"

"You almost _killed_ him! We're supposed to _escort them back_, remember?"

"Don't you question my methods! I'll have you _fired_ for this!"

_…Okay this is ridiculous._ Sarah was getting _really _tired of this _really _quick. And she knew just how to end it.

"Oh, _Ed…!_"

Her brother had been spinning the bullet in front of his face before glancing at her in response. "Uh? Yes, baby sister?"

"Y'know, that meanie soldier jerk _was_ aiming for me."

The glowing bullet snapped into a fixed position.

"You gonna let him get away with that?"

Oh, _heck_ no. It was one thing to shoot Ed. It was another to try and shoot Ed's sister. Because then they'd have to answer to _him._

The new leader of the group jumped to attention when he saw Ed slowly rise to his feet, his eyes downcast and hidden under a dark, furrowed unibrow. The leader fumbled with his gun (though which much more control than his superior officer) until he had it raised defensively.

"_Freeze!_" he commanded, though he knew it would do no good. Ed was completely unaffected, flicking the bullet away like an annoying bug.

Then his eyes snapped up, flaring a glare that was darker than a storm cloud.

"_Prepare to meet your maker…_" he growled ominously, then threw out a dramatic finger. "…_**evil mutant marshmallows!**_"

"…mutant marshmallows?"

_ZAP._

It was almost as if Ed _meant_ to make them lower their guard. And now, frozen in place thanks to good ol' zero-point energy, they were completely at his mercy.

"Take THAT!"

_POW._

"_Ooh!_" Sarah and Jimmy cringed as one of them was thrown against the lockers with a rattling thud.

"Cue the music!" With ZPE light pouring from his fingertips, Ed danced and waved his arms about as if conducting a grand orchestra. His symphony consisted of clattering metal, thick slams, screams of terror, and grunts of pain, and he even inserted his own lyrics.

"Shabam!" _BANG._ "Toodle-loo!" _CLANG._ "Egg salad!" _WHUMP._

"_Yeah!_" Sarah cheered, pumping her fists in the air. "Go, Ed, _go!_"

"Ed! Smack those two together!" When two helpless soldiers collided in midair, Jimmy applauded. "_Yes!_ Take _that_, you big galoots!"

Finally, Ed grabbed all four of them in one hand, yanked open a locker with the other, and threw them inside with an ending clamor. "And _that_…" He made a wily turn, slamming the door with a backwards flick of the wrist. "…is my final answer!"

"_Hooray!_"

Not unlike a world-class performer, Ed turned back to his audience and gave them a classy bow.

"That was _so cool_, Ed!" Sarah bounced up and down.

"Yes! You really taught those bullies a lesson!"

"Aw, t'weren't nothing…" Ed grinned in mock modesty, rubbing his nails against his jacket. "All in a day's work for Super Ed!..."

Sarah and Jimmy stared oddly at Ed, who had suddenly froze as if he had just zapped himself.

"…Super Ed… Super Children…" Once he made some sort of obscure connection, he straightened up in realization. "Oh! We gotta get outta here!" he cried, outstretching a beckoning hand to them. "Come! Follow Super Ed out!"

Sarah grew uncertain. "…A-are you sure, Ed?"

"_Very_ sure, baby sister! All will be explained once we escape!"

"Yes, Sarah, let's go! Before more show up!"

"Ah! Alright!" Clutching Jimmy in one hand, Sarah put her other hand, as well as their lives, into her brother's very capable grip, and the three of them dashed down the hallway towards the exit.

--

_BAM._

A final shot was fired in a downstairs hallway, on the opposite side of the building. There was barely enough time to react, and the victim was lucky his instinct kicked in.

The bullet would surely struck and killed its target, had not a blue translucent field pulsed into place and ricocheted it away, just in time. The impact, however, released a flash and a rippling throb, like a giant, terrified heartbeat, and Edd was launched back from the force. After a fair distance of air, he suffered a painful landing, tumbling and skidding to a stop.

"_Double D!_"

Nazz's shrill cry only added to Edd's splitting headache from the blow. He felt as though that bullet had gone in one temple and out the other. The resulting dizziness prevented any chance of getting up, as he got as far as propping himself on his elbows before he visibly shook and dropped back down with a groan.

"Well… he's down for the count," the soldier spoke up haughtily, then turned one sick and twisted grin down at Nazz. She flinched and tried to back away before she remembered she was already up against the school lockers. Curling inwards, she gave him a helpless glance, which he didn't regard in the slightest.

"I _knew_ I didn't trip over some stupid pencil," he proclaimed proudly. "You Super Children thought you could humiliate me in front of my superior officers, huh? Well, the joke's on you little twerps."

Nazz trembled, praying. "..Pl…please don't shoot me…" she quietly begged.

"I'll do what I want to you!" he shouted, raising and cocking his long gun. The gesture fulfilled its role as fear's messenger, gaining a terrified scream as Nazz hid her face away with a whimper, concealing a stream of fresh tears. The soldier smirked; it felt good to be the one in control.

"So… of your pal's got the force fields, I'm guessing _you_ got the invisibility." He leaned dangerously closer, the barrel still pointed her way. "So go on, little miss disappear. Let's see it."

Nazz shook her head desperately, trying to tell him she couldn't, but obviously he wouldn't hear it. She cried out when he grabbed her by the wrist rather forcefully.

"Come _on_, girl! Don't keep me waiting!" he demanded, losing his patience.

At this point, Nazz was sure she was as good as dead. If something didn't happen soon, this lunatic was going to blow her away, no doubt about it. She thought her one and only hope had been knocked out of commission.

But when a blue glowing orb appeared between them, that hope was instantly rekindled.

"What the heck??" The soldier stared at the ball in disbelief. His gun, which seemed to have jumped out of his hands, was floating inside of it. All attempts of grabbing it failed as the ball darted just out of reach. "_Argh!_ Who the…??"

The two of them turned in shocked unison down the hall, where an angry hand was raised, sustaining the force field. It hardly moved as Edd himself staggered to his feet, his feeble knees shaking as he tried to stand steadily. From first impression, he appeared weak and exhausted, but that all changed when he snapped up to show his face. A snarl was tugging on his upper lip, and from under the folds of his jet black hat peeked intensely narrowed eyes, full of the kind of fury no one else would expect from the gentle genius.

"_Get your filthy hands off of her, you __**slimeball**_."

Even Edd was surprised by the sheer venomous tone he was growling; it didn't sound like him at all. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched thankfully as Nazz took the opportunity to scamper away from the soldier, but the truly _scared_ look she was giving him did not make him feel proud. Still, he maintained his fierce scowl, still enraged with the way the brute treated her. He was _not_ going to let her be harmed.

"Huh. I thought I took you out." The soldier returned the glare, irritated. "…fine, then. Let's see whatcha got, Super Kid."

Making a grab for his hovering gun would be the man's first mistake. It darted around erratically at first, infuriating him to no end. Edd's hand was directing it flawlessly like a puppeteer, and his eye twitched in concentration, the only break in his scowl.

Finally, with a tight, swift swing of his arm, the field dispersed, and the gun smacked the soldier in the jaw. The blow knocked him off his feet, and the gun landed some ways away with a clatter.

"Ugh…ow…" The man grumbled, rubbing his pained face as he struggled to his feet. "Good one, you little…_huh?_"

Glancing up to where the boy was standing _seconds_ ago, he found no one. Since the girl was still cowering and visible, he made the connection, smirking.

"So _you're_ mister disappear…" He grew tense and cautious; the invisible child could've been anywhere. "…can't hide forever, cocky little brat—_urgh!_"

In a sneak attack, Edd leaped onto the large man's shoulders and wrapped his arms around his neck in an attempt of strangulation. The soldier twisted and tossed around, trying to shake him off, but the youth refused to let go for reasons even he couldn't fathom.

"…_urgargh!_ You little… _prick!_" In defense, the soldier swung a fist over his shoulder, one Edd barely had time to duck for. Roaring, the man began throwing his fists wildly. Most of them missed. _Most._

Nazz watched the scuffle with wide, terrified eyes, yelping as she heard a few of those punches connect with a crack and a cry of pain. He horror grew as she saw small, dark drops splatter on the floor with each impact.

Finally, the soldier managed to grab his young assailant and throw him over his head, and there came a sick thud in front of him. Groaning, Edd flickered in and out of visibility, disoriented.

"Nice try, kid."

Another punch intended to end it, but a last-second force field blew that option out of the water. The soldier was propelled halfway down the hallway, whereas Edd skid across the floor half that distance. Of course, the blow resulted in yet _another_ headache (he'd been abusing his poor head so much lately), but he couldn't help but notice it was milder than before.

_Perhaps my endurance is building,_ he fleetingly thought. _Or maybe it's just proportional to the force exerted on the shield… after all, a punch is significantly weaker than a bullet…_

He would've had to muse on it later, as he realized the soldier was recovering and struggling to get back up. One thing was for sure: no matter how bad the pain was for Edd, it would _always_ be worse for his blocked attacker.

Stumbling to his feet, the soldier glanced up and noticed his gun halfway between them, and he made a dash for it. The boy was faster, though; he disappeared after he himself took off, and the weapon did the same before the man could grab it.

"_AGH!_ You son of a …_WAGH!_" In complete and utter irony, his foot landed right on the discarded pencil from earlier, and the loss of balance found him landing flat on his back with a heavy impact. Out of breath, he coughed when another pressure leaped onto his chest, and yet another lightly touched his neck. With a feathery sound, Edd materialized on top of him, jabbing the gun into his throat and breathing hard, a murderous glint in his wide, anxious eyes.

For a moment, all stood still. However, it was anything but a calm stillness. The soldier was pretty convinced he was dead at this point, and Edd had the capability of delivering the act. Nazz, refusing to move a muscle, wasn't sure whether to be impressed with her peer or terrified of him; it all hinged on his next move.

Luckily for them all, it was then that Edd, staring his enemy straight in the eyes, realized what he had done.

Unwilling to face it, Edd looked away as he turned the gun in his arms, and with a hearty swing, knocked out the soldier with the butt end. He'd be sore later, but alive and spared.

Briefly detached from what he just did, Edd stood shakily, swaying in disbelief. The gun slipped from his sweaty hands and crashed to the floor, but he didn't hear it.

_Good lord, did I…?_ He held a hand to his sweating forehead, stinging his wide eyes. _…Did I just do all that? Did I __**seriously**__ just inflict bodily harm on others and… enjoyed it?? I wanted to __**kill**__ him almost, for heaven's sake, and I very well could've done it! It was all in defense… right? I can's let my… it just… doesn't feel right… not at all…!_

"D… Double D…?"

Edd jumped. He had forgotten all about the very person he was trying to protect. He turned sharply to face Nazz, who had finally gotten back on her feet too, and the two of them shared an uncertain silence. Their shocked faces were identical.

After a while, the shame caught up with Edd, and his shock melted into guilt as he averted his gaze, quickly turning away.

"…H-hey! Double D, _wait!_" Too late. He vanished as he took off for the second time, his light footsteps echoing down the hall. And for reasons she had yet to understand, this frightened Nazz to no end.

"No! Double D! _Don't leave me alone!_"

Gradually, his steps began to slow in pace until he stopped. He reappeared not too far away from her.

Baffled, Edd slowly turned around, only to find himself in a tight embrace, Nazz sobbing into his shirt.

"Please don't go…" she begged, sniffing as she hugged him needingly. "…please…"

Edd was taken aback, glancing down at her whimpering form questioningly. "N-Nazz…?"

"Don't leave me here all alone!" she wailed hysterically. "What if more come?? Who's gonna protect me??"

"I-I…" Edd jacked a shaky thumb towards the soldier he had beaten up. "But I just…!"

"…totally saved my butt! I-I'd be _dead_ now if it wasn't for you!"

_…Does she really mean that?_ At this sign of gratefulness, Edd's heart softened considerably. Tentatively, he placed a hand of comfort on her back as she hid her face away in his crimson tee.

"Please stay with me… I'm so scared…"

"…There's no need to be," he felt himself softly reply, to which she pulled away and looked back up at him with those… big, _beautiful_ eyes of hers. "I-I… I can get us both out of here… if you were just to trust me."

Growing hopeful, Nazz eagerly nodded. Edd smiled thankfully in return.

"Alright, then…" Once she drew away, he glanced up and down the halls cautiously. "Ed and Eddy are probably heading for the front entrance, so we'll meet them there…"

"Okay…Double D…"

"Even if they use another exit, we'll still meet them at the cul-de-sac, so we shouldn't linger there for too long if that's the case…"

"Double D…"

So we should head…what?"

"…um…"

"Is something wrong?"

"…Yeah. Your nose is dripping like a faucet."

Edd blinked, then brought a hand up to inspect the problem area. Sure enough, his fingertips were brought back bloody, to which he began to panic.

"Dear _lord_, my nose is bleeding! I-I broke my nose! When did I…! …oh, right, maybe during that fight… I barely even _noticed_, aw, _jeez_, it's all over my shirt…!"

"Calm down, calm down…" Nazz produced a handkerchief from her pocket and pressed it up to his nostrils, launching pain through his swollen bridge.

"_Ow!_ Ow ow ow…" Slowly, he reached a hand up and held the rag in place, allowing her to pull away. "Thank you… ow…"

"Just hold it there 'til the bleeding stops, and we can clean it up when we get home."

"R-right…" Clearing his throat to save face, he outstretched his free hand to her. "…let's go. Stick close to me."

"Got it."

Nazz took Edd's hand, and the two of them vanished.

--

A/N: Woo! How was THAT ride? Yeah… got kinda bloody here… I dunno if intend to continue that trend. I wouldn't think so, the way I'm going. Should I raise the rating anyways? You guys tell me… if you care at all. XD Anyways, please review!


	8. An Explanation, Finally

A/N: HOORAY FOR UPDATING! Sorry it took so long, it turned out 20 pages long. XD Hard to believe I'm over 100 written pages now.

Oh… before I begin, I just want to let you know, I'm not including the Kankers in this plotline, and I'm not including the parents either. If I try to focus on too much, the quality of the story suffers. So those technicalities are being ignored. I REALLY hope this doesn't chase anyone away, because I guarantee you, this is gonna be a wild ride no matter what. I'm so excited for later scenes, you have no idea. So please stick around; I won't disappoint you!

With that done, onto the chapter!

--

Chapter 8: An Explanation… Finally

--

--

--

Gaining the trust of the others had to be the hardest part of the entire lockdown fiasco for the Eds. As far as escaping the building went, it was far more simpler, even with all the other patrolling soldiers. Eddy sped past them, Ed froze and threw them into more empty lockers, and Edd simply snuck past them with Nazz diligently at his side.

Being the fastest (who would've guessed it), Eddy was the first to reach the school's entrance doors, screeching to a halt… and into the wall. Rolf, Kevin, and Jonny laid beside him, groaning.

"Yeah, sorry," Eddy grinned sheepishly. "Still getting used to whole 'brake' thing."

"Ow… dork…" Kevin grumbled, rubbing his head.

"Woo!" Jonny dizzily cheered. "What a ride! Let's do it again!"

"Perhaps in the near future, Jonny-the-wood-boy!" Rolf hopped to his feet and went straight for the door. "For now, we must evacuate the premise imme…!" He pulled a second and third time before gawking at the bar he was yanking on. "What is this?? They've locked down their fortress! With locks!"

"No duh, Rolf," a female voice cut in. "That's why they _call_ it a lockdown."

Eddy didn't like that _particular_ voice, but welcomed it all the same. Because only two other people could stand to be around her, one simply for the sake of sibling duty. He turned to face the trio, who had just come down a separate hallway, and grinned.

"Monobrow! There you are!"

"Hiya, Eddy!" Ed waved happily, Sarah and Jimmy faithfully on his heels.

"You seen Sockhead yet?"

"Present!" called the familiar voice of their third party, slightly breathless. Beside Ed's group materialized Edd and Nazz, the former's face halfway cover up. "Whew…"

"Double D! You made it!" Ed cheered.

"Looks like we all did!" Jimmy piped up.

"Nice work, you guys," Nazz complimented.

"Ha! Ain't nothing to it!" Eddy smirked in mock modesty, then turned to Ed, jacking a thumb over his shoulder. "Hey, Lumpy! Go work on that door, will ya?"

"As long as I get my union benefits!"

"…whatever." Eddy left Ed to his business of pulling on the door lock, turning to his other buddy, who was readjusting the rag on his face. "What's with you?"

"Huh? Oh…" Edd snorted into the hanky for good measure, then removed it to expose one messy, banged-up face that captured everyone's attention.

"Good golly almighty!"

"Holy cow!"

"Ouch, dude."

"Ed-boy's nose has swollen up larger than Papa's toe warts!"

"…Thanks for the mental image, Rolf, really."

"Double D!" Sarah, who felt oddly compassionate today, cried out. "What the heck happened to you??"

"Oh… um…" Though it was too late, Edd tried to hide it behind the stained cloth, embarrassed. "N-nothing… just a confrontation that got out of hand, slightly…"

"You duked it out with one of those soldier guys, didn't ya?" Jonny eagerly questioned, grinning. "Hope you paid him back in spades!"

"Erm… sure."

"Dude…!" Kevin was laughing at this point. "Those two don't have a scratch on 'em, but you got a broken nose? From _one_ guy? What's up with _that?_"

The jock probably didn't mean anything by it, but Edd took the observation to heart, slightly hurt as he looked away. Nazz noticed this and decided to step in.

"Hey, leave him alone, Kevin!" she scolded, gaining an odd look. "He _saved my life_ getting that bloody nose, so I don't wanna hear you poking fun at him!"

"Okay, okay, sorry! Geez…!" Kevin typically replied.

Bashfully, Edd smiled in Nazz's direction before he looked up and barely ducked in time, the door's lock sailing over his head.

"Ed! Watch where you're throwing things!" he protested.

"Sorry, Double D! Hi_ya!_" Like any over-the-top hero, Ed kicked the door open dramatically and stepped outside. His bravado was cut short, however, when he glanced out. "…uh oh…"

"Uh oh, what?" Eddy gave him a look.

"Uh oh, _that_." Ed pointed out to the front of the campus, where tons of vehicles and seemingly endless numbers of soldiers patrolled the area some distance away.

Edd paled. "…Not good."

"'Not good,' nothing!" Eddy proclaimed. "Come on, we've got _superpowers,_ for crying out loud! We can take 'em!"

"Not when we have to escort everyone _else_, Eddy!" Edd pointed out. "We have to get _past_ them, not fight them!"

"…Right. That's what I meant."

Edd rolled his eyes. "Of course it is. So what did you have in mind, exactly?"

Eddy quickly began to brainstorm as he eyed the group outside. If anyone could come up with an escape plan, he could.

--

Despite the large group of people stationed in front of Peach Creek Junior High, the grounds were relatively quiet and well-contained. Non-danger students were being let out through the gym on the other side of the building, so the front end of the operation was secure. And _dull_.

The thirty-something soldiers guarding the front gates and adjacent parking lot were currently progressing through various stages of boredom. None of them bothered to notice the front doors opening or anything equally suspicious, such as the soft clapping sounds on the pavement, like…

"Shoes?"

"Nah. Birds."

"How much longer does this have to go on?"

"I'm not gettin' paid enough for this…"

Commander Dreadnaught, chief-in-command of the operation, was, on the contrary, on top of things, and would've surely noticed these oddities and begin investigating. However, he was currently preoccupied at his station's radio transmitter, where he was contacting, and being chewed out by, _his_ boss. No priorities out-buffed his boss.

"_So, help me understand this…_" The classy, middle-aged voice droned. "_Your troops are parading through a junior high school, with _all _their weapons set on Fatal instead of Stun. Am I right?_"

Dreadnaught massaged his face in exasperation. _Man_, did he hate the saucy sound of his boss' voice. "That's correct, sir."

The voice sighed, disappointed. "_I can never trust you to do anything right, can I, Commander?_"

"Sir, you gave me too many troops to manage. We had no time to double-check our weapons; it was hard enough to get everyone moving." He sighed, frustrated by the entire situation. "With all due respect, why provide so many? Usually we're not _half _these numbers when intercepting a Super Child."

"_For two reasons, Commander. One, there are three of them. Two, they are younger, and therefore more robust and… less willing to cooperate. You get the idea._"

"Uh-huh."

"…_I think it's safe to assume you haven't secured _any _of them, right?_"

Dreadnaught rubbed his forehead. "They were located some time ago…but we lost contact with those troops."

"_Well, of course. They're not coming without a fight. Children are stubborn like that._"

_Making my life miserable in the process…_ Dreadnaught internally moaned. "We'll keep tabs on the…"

A loud crash made him and thirty other soldiers jump to alert. An ammunition cart had toppled over near the perimeter of the blockade, and a voice from the open air cried out in pain.

"Ah! Who was that??"

"Ow…! Rolf's poor foot…"

"Rolf, you idiot!"

"_You're_ the one spoke _first_, Kevin!"

"_Dangit!_ We were so _close!_"

One by one, a group of nine kids materialized nearby, one tending to his hurt foot.

"Ow ow ow…"

"I _knew_ this was a bad idea! I _told_ you, Eddy!"

"Hey, get off my back, it was an accident!"

"We can't move that many invisible people _without_ that sort of accident! I _told_ y…!"

The hat-wearing boy straightened up, turning along with the others to face the soldiers behind them in a staring contest.

"…not… good…"

Commander Dreadnaught fumbled to recover. "G-go! Move! Advance! _Get them!_"

"_Waaaaah!_" Jimmy began to panic as thirty-some large men were coming their way. "Whadda we do, _whadda we do??_"

"Plan B, that's what! Ed!"

"Got it, Eddy!" Before anyone could protest, Ed zapped the others in one large, glowing cloud of zero-point energy. He then grinned at Eddy and pointed his other hand his way, but only zapped his arm. Once they were latched on, Eddy took off at top speed, the entire group trailing behind him like a big, blue flag.

"Go, go, _go!_"

"_No, cancel that. Fall back, everyone, let them go._"

Dreadnaught stared at the radio box incredibly. "B-but sir, that was them! They escaped the lockdown!"

"_Mmm, I figured they would. No matter, it only proves their worth to… the academy's interests._"

"…of course." Defeated, Dreadnaught tensely awaited orders. "…if we're not pursuing them, then what should we do, sir?"

"_Call off the lockdown. Report back to the academy. I think the Super Children have had enough soldiers and military tactics for one day, just as I have. I will shortly begin my own methods of enrollment._"

"…yes, sir."

It was one of those things in every career that was difficult and mind-numbing to watch. The brats were _right there_, and they were getting away _scott free_. On his employer's word, Dreadnaught could've easily caught and presented the Super Children to their captors himself. But one disobeyed command could drop him in hotter water than he was already deep-frying in.

_And Vull would dine on my baked buns on a silver platter afterwards…_ his brain added, not providing much comfort.

Oh well. Back to the academy to try again some other day.

--

_Screech!_

The way it sounded, the noise could've easily been mistaken for a car braking, instead of the shoes of a speedy twelve-year-old, shredding across the pavement. But to the kids, who were all dropped into the center of their cul-de-sac home, it seemed either way.

"Agh… my back…"

"Owww…"

"Stupid, lousy, no-good…"

Eddy grinned again. "…sorry. Again."

"I _knew_ it!" With the danger over, Edd's ranting resumed. "I _knew it!_ I _told_ you…!"

"…that it wasn't a good idea," Eddy finished in a mock imitation, rolling his eyes. "Geez, you're like a broken record, Double D."

"We could've _easily _gotten captured back there!"

"That's why I had a back-up plan!"

"Oh, like that wasn't a spontaneous stroke of luck! We're lucky they didn't follow us!"

"Right! So what's your problem??"

"_You_ are my problem, you…!"

In one simultaneous realization, the argument was done and over with. They were stuck in their angry poses for a second, Edd pointing an ineffective finger at Eddy, until, slowly, they turned their gazes to find several other pairs of eyes staring back.

"…Okay." The first to break the silence was Kevin, delicately. "You guys… have a _lot_ of explaining to do."

The two Eds glanced at each other wearily, and neither made any objection to that.

"…Y-yes, of course, no denying that…" It would be Edd's peacemaking tone that would take control, hastening to make amends. "You no doubt deserve the truth… or all that we know of it, at least."

Recovering from the crash, Ed swiftly got to his feet to pat attention, forgetting about one of his glowing fingers.

Edd cleared his throat. "To put it simply…"

"The Eds have _superpowers!_" Ed cheered, throwing his arm back.

…and launching Jimmy high into the air behind him. He grin evaporated when he heard the dying scream, looking up at the flying speck.

"…Oops."

"_Jimmy!_" Sarah cried.

"Brilliant, Ed. Absolutely brilliant."

Ed grinned helplessly in response to Edd's inward glance.

The sock-wearing boy massaged his temple. "Eddy, go catch him, will you?"

"Wha? Why me?"

"Because you're the only one fast enough to traverse that distance in time."

"Oh… Right!" With that, Eddy sped off in a blur. The others watched his form quickly become a speck within the hills, identical in size to the one in the sky above, losing altitude. The two specks met at last, combining like atoms, and seconds later, Eddy was back with Jimmy in his arms, shaking like a leaf.

"Jimmy!" Quickly, the boy changed arms, Sarah cradling him like a protective mother bear. "Are you okay??"

"So… high…"

Edd sighed loudly. "Continuing…" He looked around warily. "…on second thought, we may want to change locale. We'd be better off indoors than out in the open, in case they come back."

"Whatever!" Kevin threw up his arms in frustration. "Just as long as you tell us what's going on!"

"All in due time, Kevin, I promise."

"Party at Double D's house!" Ed chorused, parading towards the said adobe. The other kids followed, anxiously chattering amongst themselves as they walked past a stunned Edd.

"…Wait, _my _house? When did we decide, _hey!_"

"When we looked over the author's plot outline!" eddy replied, grabbing Edd by the droop of his hat. "Keep up with the rest of us, will ya?"

"No no _n…!_" Before Edd could properly protest, Eddy zipped away with his buddy in tow.

--

"Ow! Ow…owowow…"

"Hold still, Double D…!"

"But I _know_ you're going to do it. And I _know_ it's going to…"

_Crack!_

"_**AGH!**__ Hurt! Owwwwww!_"

"Relax, I've done this before… 'Scuse me, Jonny…"

"Wow, that guy must've really slugged you hard!"

"Multiple times, actually…ow…"

"You're lucky you didn't lose any teeth!"

"I'm _well_ aware of that, Eddy…"

Finally, Nazz fixated the proper bandage over the bridge of Edd's nose. "There. Now was that so hard?"

"It unbelievably hurt, but…" He swallowed a tiny blush. "…thank you."

"You're such a two-year-old," Eddy spoke up, gaining a glare in return. "Didn't you even know Ed got shot?"

"Ed got _WHAT??_" Edd shot up from his seat, grabbing a puzzled Ed frightfully. "E-Ed! A-aren't you hurt?? Where'd they shoot y…!"

It took him a minute to remember, spotting the stainless hole in his shirt. He looked up at Ed's grin, and Eddy began to laugh.

"World's. Biggest. Dupe."

"Okay, that's not funny! Don't you pull that on me again, you had me worried!"

"Just don't forget about my super-healing next time, Double D," Ed offered, trying to be helpful.

"Of course, thanks, Ed."

"_Ahem!_" A foreign voice called from another room. "Rolf does not mean to be rude, but if the Ed boys are finished with their bickering, now would be a good time to get up to business!"

"…dude," another answered. "…_down_ to business, Rolf."

"Ah, yes, coming!" Edd quickly left the kitchen, with Ed, Eddy, Jonny, and Nazz behind. The others had settled in the living room on various furniture; Kevin and Rolf took up two-thirds of the couch, and Sarah and Jimmy were sharing a large comfy chair. Nazz sat down next to Kevin, comforted by familiarity, Eddy took the other chair, and Ed and Jonny opted to sitting on the floor.

Edd took precedence by being the only one left standing, which, for some reason, didn't make him feel as nervous as it should've. If the circumstances were different, he would've greatly accepted being the center of attention.

"…Allow me, if you will, to start at the beginning by explaining what exactly we've become."

"Super Children, right?" Nazz ventured. "That's what they called you guys."

"Yes, that's the official term, I believe. I spent a fair amount of class time with research today, and this is what I discovered." He scanned over the notes in his hands for quick reference. "Every generation, an unexplainable force chooses children all over the world to inherit special powers at birth. Every power is unique, and range from the power of flight to multiple linguistics."

"Neato!"

"Ooh! Rolf is intrigued!"

"These powers remain dormant throughout the Super Child's youth, then reveal themselves at the coming of age, which is usually eighteen."

"So why'd _yours_ come earlier?"

"I'll get there, Kevin, one step at a time." Edd vowed to keep control over this delicate explanation. "As you can guess, the three of us were apparently chosen. I'm sure you've seen our powers at work, but to reiterate…" He gestured to each of them, one by one. "Eddy has super speed and fire manipulation… Ed has control of zero-point energy and super regeneration… and I have invisibility and force field generation."

Edd paused for a moment, his hand still on his own sternum as he glanced over their expression-less faces. "…is everyone following so far?"

"Oh, yeah!"

"Totally!"

"Keep going, Double D!"

Edd was stunned. They were actually listening to him? That was a first.

"Okay, you got the basics down," Eddy spoke up. "Tell 'em what happened that night."

"Ah, yes, thank you, Eddy." Relieved, Edd continued. "Our powers surfaced barely days ago… Wednesday night, I believe? It started with a dream, one the three of us shared in unison. At first, we could only hear each other, but then another voice spoke to us."

"And she called us Super Children!" Ed cheered, startling a few of them.

"Yes. And she said much more." Edd glanced at the jock. "This is where we come to your question, Kevin. Though we're far beneath the coming of age… she warned us of… a danger." His voice grew lower, eyes distant. "An incoming danger that we needed to be ready for sooner… one that could threaten the entire world… and one only we could stop."

"Geez… that's a lot to put on a couple of kids."

"That's a gross understatement, Sarah," Edd sighed heavily. "But it makes no difference. I'm afraid out trials so far are only the beginning… I can only hope we'll be ready when the moment of fate comes."

A moment of silence followed this bleak resolve. Eddy glanced over the dismal faces and decided a change of mood was needed.

"Oh, whatever, it's not _that_ bad!" he waved it off. "Besides, Sockhead can make anything sound depressing."

"Eddy…!"

"Hey, we can handle it! We always do!" Eddy seemed so certain, no one challenged his confidence. "So quit brooding about it! Tell 'em what happened after the dream!"

"…Very well." Edd only consented on the grounds that it was _their_ problem to worry about, not the other, innocent cul-de-sac dwellers. A change of pace would lessen the tension significantly.

"I assume all of you heard the commotion that night? Around 2 AM?"

Jimmy gasped. "Those grotesque noises came from _you?_"

"Correct… though I'm not proud to admit it. I apologize if we frightened anyone."

"And to think you were _that_ close to callin' the cops…!" Jonny chastised Plank.

"What _happened_ to you guys…?" Nazz quietly asked.

"I have reason to believe our bodies were adapting to the sudden addition of our superpowers… upgrading, if you will, to fully, and safely, operate them." He approached Eddy in his walk around the room, patting him on the shoulder. "Eddy experienced extreme internal heat, adapting _his_ body to endure the flames he controls and the intense friction from his speed."

"So you were the one screaming about it being hot," Kevin deduced.

"Man, I thought I was gonna _melt_. Or explode. Either one."

Though embarrassed to, Edd gestured to himself next. "I… lost total control over my mind. Meaning random images were flashing here and there and all physical movements were completely involuntary."

"…okay, repeat that last part in English," Kevin bluntly replied.

Edd sighed. "I couldn't control my body. I was stumbling around spouting absolute nonsense."

"So _that_ was you! Rolf thought the harpy ladies had finally caught up with him!"

After giving Rolf a weird look, Edd continued. "I believe my brain was… rearranging itself, like the defragmenting of a computer, in order to utilize the right areas to control my powers, since they're both mental."

"Ooh…!"

"What about Ed?"

Edd glanced his way. The oaf smiled back innocently.

"…that's a good question," Edd replied blankly. "What happened to you again, Ed?"

"I got tingly all over. Like something was tickling me like crazy." Ed giggled from the memory. "So I _laughed _like crazy."

"…I see." Edd scratched under his hat in thought. "Maybe your cellular structure was converting to its regeneration rate… or your body's ground energy was adapting to the zero-point energy… I'm not sure about that one."

Ed shrugged and smiled.

"All in all… you must understand that… all of this is happening so fast…" He shook his head. "…we can barely tell what _is _happening… Which brings me to the lockdown."

Everyone sat forward in anticipation.

"The school lockdown completely came out of nowhere… But I _do_ believe their label for us as 'breaches of security' was only an excuse to invade the campus. Because based off the decorations on their uniforms, I can tell they were deployed not by any US military force, but by the…"

"_…Hall of Supers Academy_."

The very air in the room seemed to chill over as the new voice, smooth as a stainless blade, yanked the words right out of Edd's mouth. It hung open in mute befuddlement.

Following the others' stares, he turned to find a small screen hovering next to his head on tiny circles of energy. Past the static feed, one could see the face of a man, wearing a classy grin. His gray-brown hair was neatly combed to fan out on both sides of his lean face, almost melding with the dark, indistinguishable background behind him.

The children stared at the new face as he took a brief second to stroke his goatee.

Eddy made a face. "…Who the…?"

"Lord Vull Stalwart," Edd answered in a low voice, staring down the man firmly. "The dean of the Hall of Supers Academy."

Ed waved. "Hiya, Lord Vull!"

"_Greetings. It seems you've done your homework, young Eddward._"

"Yeah, he's notorious for that," Eddy commented.

Edd was far from amused. "It seems like you have, too," he replied.

"_I have to. It's the only way to track Super Children down. You understand._" Vull spoke with a warm, paternal tone. "_Well done so far, lad, but I'll take over for now._"

Edd's eyes narrowed as his suspicion only grew. Something about this guy was rubbing him the wrong way.

"Whoa, hang on a sec!" Kevin turned to Edd incredulously, pointing a finger at Vull. "Is this the guy who sent the soldiers out for you?"

Edd let a smirk escape onto his face. "Pretty much."

"Hey, what's your beef??" Sarah stood up angrily, shaking a fist. "Your idiot soldiers could've _killed_ somebody!"

"_Ah…_" Vull sighed remorsefully. "_Allow me to be the first to apologize for their… blunderings. They were given orders to simply locate and escort you three to the Academy. Apparently they got carried away and… well, you know how tempting brute force is to the men of military._"

"That's no excuse!" Nazz exclaimed, her moment at gunpoint still fresh in her mind. "What was the point of the soldiers, anyway? You could've just asked them!"

"_Excellent question. It's a test to evaluate the Super Children's reaction. And based on the result, I'd say you three performed spectacularly._"

"Thank you very much," Ed replied proudly, Eddy mirroring his gleeful grin. Edd, however, clenched a fist, the enlightenment only leaving him to seethe further.

"None of this makes any sense to Rolf!" the son-of-a-shepherd voiced, other piping up in agreement. "Explain yourself further, crusty old bat!"

"_Yes, of course._" The insult seemed to roll right off his back, but Edd caught a small twitch of the eye before he continued. "_Allow me to speak on behalf of our institution. The Hall of Supers honors generations of Super Children, their strength, courage, and brave achievements. The academy follows that proud tradition, enrolling newly-awaken Children and helping them tune in to their powers to the fullest extent._"

"Cool!" Ed looked about ready to sign up.

"_…In a way, it's also become a safe haven for the Children,_" Vull continued, growing somewhat emotional. "_I can tell you all have embraced acceptance of these three to some extent, but it's sad for me to say that other Super Children aren't as fortunate._"

"We're used to 'em being different anyways," Jonny replied nonchalantly.

Vull nodded solemnly. "_You three are lucky. Others are shunned by friends and even family, punished for powers they never asked for, met with such fierce disdain… labeled as outcasts, sins of nature… __**freaks.**_"

The Eds were listening quietly; all of it sounded very familiar. The last word bit into Edd something first, and his tiny wince didn't go unnoticed. Suddenly, Nazz was feeling ten times worse than before.

After a brief moment of silence, Vull smiled at the Eds. "_I offer an invitation to you three children of destiny, to enroll in our academy, and journey to your new home… where you'll never be seen as freaks again. I guarantee it._"

The Eds were equally taken aback by the proposition. Even Edd's anger ebbed, replaced with shock. The tension grew in the air, heavy and suffocating with silence. Would they accept the offer?

Edd glanced helpless between his two best friends. It was obvious Ed was eager to go, but he looked reluctant to leave the cul-de-sac and everyone else behind; he had a commitment to his sister, after all. Eddy only shrugged at his friend's anxious glance, however. Translated, the gesture meant 'it's up to you,' a rare thing for him to say, as he had always been a firm believer of his own, quick decisions.

With their silent input in mind, Edd cleared his throat uneasily.

"That's an… awfully big decision," he croaked. "…and awfully sudden as well… w-we don't even know how close the academy is, the location wasn't given on the website…"

"_We'll give you those details later,_" Vull assured. "_I can say, however, that it is a long distance away from your current residence._"

That information was hardly comforting. "We'll need some time to think it over."

"_…I understand,_" Vull replied quietly, the static on the screen growing. "_Ah… it appears this device is losing power. Very well, then. I'll return later. I hope to have your answer by then._" With that, the screen floated out through an open window, disappearing into the afternoon sky.

The tense silence remained for a minute or two while the unexpected visit soaked in. Finally, Edd turned back to his audience an feigned an uneasy grin.

"Well… did any of that make more sense of things?"

Gradually, they all nodded and made other noises of confirmation. No sense in asking for any more.

"Geez…" Eddy wheezed, a hand on his forehead. "What a day…"

"You're telling me," Edd agreed, internally exhausted. "…didn't give us much time to think, did he?"

Ed churned in his shoes unsurely. "…I dunno, guys."

"Yeah…" Eddy sighed. "Sounds like a sweet deal, but… I dunno." He eyed Edd. "…but for some reason, this Vull guy creeps me out."

Edd nodded, relieved to his anxiety backed up. Seemed Eddy wasn't as oblivious as he came off as. "You're not the only one. I have my suspicions of Vull as well. I'm finding myself unable to fully trust him."

A small cough brought their attention back to the other kids. They looked as anxious as dogs locked outside in a thunderstorm.

"…what are _we_ to do?" Jimmy questioned quietly.

Somewhat guilty, Edd faced them fully. "...the rest of you can go home, if you wish. This is our problem now. You don't have to involve yourselves with our affairs anymore than you need to."

"_Good._" Kevin immediately jumped to his feet. "In that case, I'm done. I've had enough of super-powered freaks for one day."

"_Kevin!_" Nazz gaped at the jock, appalled. He also received disapproving glares from the others.

"What??"

Wordlessly, Edd turned away and left the room. Everyone watched him go without a sound, and Eddy grinned at the, uncertainly before grabbing Ed and following. They found him at his front door, ready to leave.

"Where're you going, Double D?" Ed asked, startling him slightly. "Ain't this your house?"

"…forgive me, I just need some fresh air," he replied, opening the door halfway. "…it'll help me think, if nothing else."

Now Eddy could read his concerns easily. This time he was an open book.

He looked back to make sure no one else was listening, then brought the other two close in a huddle.

"Look, guys…" he began. "…I don't care either way at this point. If you guys don't wanna go, then we're not going."

"Eddy…"

"You said it yourself, Double D; that Vull's probably nothing but trouble. And believe me, I'd love to see what else I can do with these _awesome_ powers, but if that means no scamming the pigeons…" He held his chest in mock emotion. "…I-I don't think my heart could take it."

This got a laugh all around, lessening the dramatic air considerably.

"But anyways, whatever we choose to do, we do it together. And why's that?"

"Because we're a team!" Ed enthusiastically replied.

"You got it, Lumpy. How 'bout you, Double D?"

"…Yes. I got it," Edd nodded, comforted.

"Alright." Eddy broke the circle, drawing away. "You head off, then. We'll deal with the others."

Edd smiled gratefully. "…Thank you, Fellows. You… you keep me strong."

"Hey!" Eddy pointed his way warily. "No sappy clichés!"

"Of course, my bad." Edd shook his head, laughing, as he patted a gleeful Ed on the head before they went their separate ways.

Walking back down the hall, Eddy watched Nazz hurry past him, apparently worried. He did nothing to stop her, however, continuing on his merry way and silently wishing his crushing friend good luck.

--

A/N: Woo! How was THAT for an update? I hope it tied up some loose ends. I know there are still some to fill, but those fillers will come at some point, I promise you.

Anyone else noticed the Invader Zim reference? Or the break in the fourth wall? Fourth wall jokes are so damn fun. XD

Well… you got to the end of this crazy-long chapter, so REVIEW DARN YOU :)


	9. Chemistry

A/N: Alright! Finally got this one done. Okay, get ready for some romance! XD Ooh! And SCIENCE! Everybody loves science! 8D

Okay, the facts I'm making up in this chapter are based on light, physics, and common sense. If for any reason these facts are already proven false, I don't care, because this is my tale and I can make sense of anything I want. XD You'll see what I mean when I get there. I just hope I made it make sense. XD

Well, then… Read on!

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Chapter 9: Chemistry

--

--

--

Edd took in a big breath of the afternoon air, letting it cycle in and out and refreshing his body and mind considerably. He truly needed it after all the madness of the day's events. He knew he had other things to think over, important decisions to make, but a moment of relaxation was necessary if he didn't want his brain to overload… again. That was not a fun experience.

However, he would have no idea how long his respite would last, as someone was approaching him from behind.

"Double D! Wait up!"

Startled, Edd turned just as Nazz caught up to him, slightly breathless.

"Nazz?? What're you…?"

"I-I heard you needed some air…" She saw his odd look, trying not to freak out. "I do too, y'know, with everything going on, the whole almost getting killed bit kinda wears a girl out, I mean, but, I can't imagine what _you're_ going through, though, with your powers and possibly moving away and…!"

_Oh my gosh._ Edd fought to keep up a firm composure, swallowing a blush. _She babbles just like I do._

"…and I-I know you told us to stay home, and that this is your problem, but you know what, I'm worried for you guys, I don't want anything bad to happen to you, _especially_ to you and…!"

Their faces blushed in unison.

"Uhh… what I mean is…!"

"L-look, you should go home anyway," he urged, desperately trying to escape this horribly awkward situation. "I-it wouldn't be safe to be out here alone, especially with me, I mean, what if they come back for…"

"I don't _care!_" Without thinking twice, Nazz took both of Edd's hands into hers, pulling him slightly closer with a tiny squeak. "I just… I really don't wanna be home alone… I'd rather be with you."

Edd's eyes enlarged impossibly. "W-what??"

Her emotional half smile turned into a casual grin. "Because you can protect me! Right?"

Edd's train of thought lapsed for a second before he jumped in surprise and nodded eagerly, somewhat relieved. "O-oh, yes, of course!"

Of course she'd have no other reason to be around him. He should've expected that by now. Of course it wasn't meant to be. Of course.

…and yet they still found themselves staring at each other dumbly. They both each averted their gazes.

"…um."

"So…"

"H-huh?"

"Where were you heading, anyways?"

"Unh, oh!" Edd gestured wildly up north. "Just… up to the woods… surround myself in a natural environment… t'help me think…" He rubbed his neck anxiously. Lord, was he being such a dork.

"…oh." Nazz's face fell, her hands beginning to draw away from his. "I guess you wanna be left alone, then…"

"No, no, it's fine!" he insisted, finding himself tug her back as if pulling her out of a speeding train's path. "Really, it's okay, I… wouldn't mind the company."

"…Really?"

"R-really, I mean it."

The very brightening of Nazz's face did wonders for Edd as well. "Okay."

Another moment of… dare he think it…_calm_ silence.

Until he looked down and noticed his tight, sweaty grip on her hands.

"Oh, gosh!" Hastily, he pulled away, and the two shared an awkward chuckle. "Aha, I was just, yeah."

"Yeah."

"…Shall we?"

"After you."

"No, no, after _you_."

"Just start walking already, Double D."

"Alright, alright, fine! Here I go! I'm walking, see? I'm walking!"

Nazz watched him walk until he reached the street, then made a stiff turn about-face.

"…I'm supposed to be walking _this_ way…!"

"Okay, seriously, Double D, you need to stop freaking out."

Edd turned back sharply, appalled. "I am _not_ freaking out."

"You are too!"

"_I am not…!_"

_SMACK._

Edd staggered back and blinked a few times, rubbing his cheek as he glanced up at her inward grin. To be perfectly honest, he did _not_ see that coming.

"…wow," he finally spoke up, sounding much more sane. "Two slaps in one day. That's a record."

That comment succeeded in getting a giggle out of Nazz. "Sorry if that was too harsh."

"No, no… I needed that. Thank you."

"All this craziness is stressing you out," she said sympathetically, approaching his side as a slow walk began. "Just relax and take things in stride. That's how I'd do it."

"Yes, I know…" Edd sighed. "That's why I came out here in the first place… forgive me, I… I'm not too proud of that outburst of mine."

"Don't worry about it."

Edd said nothing in response, and their walk up the hills into the woods was thankfully silent. They kept a healthy distance between each other, not daring to look the other in the eye…yet.

When Edd was finally reemerged in his thoughts, however, he hardly noticed Nazz constantly looking his way. The more she watched his movements, the more she found herself becoming… interested in him. Why she never saw it before, she had no clue. But then again, this was probably the longest amount of time she'd ever spent with him, one-on-one, like this.

Then, remembering something, she stopped.

"…Hey, Double D?"

"Hmm?" Leaning against a tree, Edd turned to her questioningly. "Yes? What is it, Nazz?"

"Um…" Her guilt resurfaced as her hands winded and wrung. "Look, I…I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Edd lightly pushed himself off the tree and cocked his head. "Whatever for?"

"For all those things I said, during the lockdown…" She shook her head and looked away. "I-I feel awful…"

Edd knew she was growing upset. "Oh, no, it's alright, don't…"

"No it's not, Double D! You were trying to help me and all I did was blame you and call you a freak! I can't believe I…!"

"Nazz!" Again, he took her hands into his, waiting for her to calm down. "…It's fine, I understand. You were panicking, and you needed someone to blame and vent out to… that's all."

"I didn't even properly _thank_ you…"

Edd felt himself smile sagely. "Your trust afterwards was thanks enough. Not to mention fixing my nose."

"You _saved my life_, Double D," she reminded, her eyes locked with his. "I mean, who knows what would've happened if I found the soldiers first."

Edd considered this, shrugging. "To be honest with you, they probably would've just escorted you out. They did so for countless other students."

He bit his lip after the words poured out without a second thought. Not the most encouraging thought to share at the moment. He almost expected Nazz to get angry again, but she merely contemplated his input.

"Mmm… I _guess_ so…" A smile slowly waxed onto her face. "But then I wouldn't have gotten to see your powers at work, would I?"

Properly surprised, Edd relaxed. "Ha, no, I… suppose not."

"Your powers are so cool, Double D…" She hopped close to him like an excited child, her blonde locks bouncing with her. "Could you show me how they work?"

Edd was taken aback, to understate. "Sh-show you…?"

"Please?"

"Well, I…" Edd wasn't sure what to do. Not very many people requested this sort of thing from him, unless they needed something to fall asleep to. "…i-it's all rather boring, actually, just physical science, _certainly _not as interesting as Ed or Eddy's…!"

"Invisibility and force fields aren't boring," Nazz argued. "Come on, just show me. I'll listen!"

Edd was floored. She… was _willing_ to listen to one of his lectures? Well, he simply couldn't pass such an opportunity up!

"Very well," he consented, thinking of where to begin. "…hmm. Well, do you remember the light and color unit in science class last year?"

"Kind of." Nazz tried to think back to it. "Um… I remember that picture of white light hitting the prism and splitting into all those colors."

"Right, the color spectrum," Edd nodded, reaching down and plucking a fallen leaf from the ground. "Light bounces off objects all around us, at different wavelengths, producing the color our eyes see. All other color frequencies are absorbed into the object."

"Oh, yeah, I remember!" Nazz looked over the leaf Edd held up for her. "So green light bounces off the leaf while all the other colors are absorbed!"

"Exactly!" Edd beamed at her understanding. "So, we see the objects that light bounces off and absorbs into…" He grinned knowingly. "…so based on that principle, what do you think would happen if light failed to reach the object?"

Nazz thought this through, then brightened up with a smile of realization. The question was silently answered when the leaf in Edd's hand vanished.

"Oh, wow…!"

"That's all there is to it," Edd continued as Nazz took the invisible leaf into her hand, marveling what she couldn't see. "There's no genetic alteration or any of that, just a simple bending of light waves, a barrier, if you will, to prevent light from hitting it. Engineers have developed cloaking devices based on this principle, but they're mostly imperfect and make visual distortions."

"But you do it so perfectly…" Nazz finished, grinned at Edd and poking his temple. "And you do it all up here?"

"That's right," he nodded, making the leaf visible again with a single glance. "Light waves are easy to bend, so it's less strain on my mind. Force fields, on the other hand…" He chuckled. "…they're a different story."

"And how do those work?"

"Well, they…" Here, Edd got stuck. "…oh… this is high school physics we're going into now. Try to keep up."

Nazz giggled. "Okay."

"Hmm… well, alright, _gravity_," he began, gesturing to the ground below. "Gravity is an ever-acting force pushing down towards the center of the earth, keeping us from floating into space. Right?"

"Right," Nazz nodded, wondering where this was going.

"Well, did you know there's another force pushing us up as well?"

Her eyes widened as she shook her head.

"Without that force, gravity would crush us into the ground."

"Ooh." Nazz couldn't help but cringe.

"See, we remain on the surface because of the two forces, the planet's gravity, and the force exerted by its mass." Edd represented the forces with two fingers, pointed at each other. These two forces are equal and opposite of each other, meeting at the earth's surface to equalize the pressure. Does that make sense?"

Nazz nodded, and surprisingly, it didn't take her long to put the pieces together. "Wait, so… your force fields… they're made when you make those equal and opposite forces?"

Edd couldn't hide the giddiness in his reaction. At last, someone who understood his scientific lingo! "Exactly!" He held up his hands and pulsed a translucent blue orb between them. "The two forces are pushing against each other at the thousands of points on the sphere, and where they meet, they spread out and form the surface of the field."

"Okay, that is just too cool."

"The hard part is keeping those forces equal in magnitude." The orb disappeared as his voice grew strained. "It takes a lot more concentration then bending light waves, because this is actual _force_ we're talking about."

Nazz nodded. "Which is why it gets harder on you when someone attacks the force field."

"Right. I have to deflect the outside force with the same amount from the inside to keep the field at bay. With this exertion, it's no wonder a blow to the field feels like a blow to my head." He rubbed in subconsciously, memories of his numerous headaches still fresh in his mind.

"Ouch… harder than it looks, isn't it?"

"Actually, not as much as you'd think," Edd admitted. "…I guess you'd better understand it if you actually _had_ the powers at your disposal… with practice, I'll only get stronger, until perhaps it won't hurt my head as much. I'm hoping my endurance builds the more I… exert… it…"

Only when he stopped talking did he realize Nazz was staring right at him with an endearing smile on her face, one that made his insides do loop-de-loops.

"That's… really cool," she finally spoke.

"What, my powers? Well, I guess you could…"

He paused when Nazz shook her head. "Not just that. The fact that you _know_ how they work… I mean if I had them, I'd have _no_ idea, but _you_ were able to even help _me_ to get it! Me, of all people!"

Edd was placed in an awkward position. Sure, his intelligence had been complimented on by his friends before, but never by the very object of his infatuation. "You… really think so?"

Nazz nodded sincerely. "Uh-huh."

There it was. Another one of those peaceful silences. This time, neither were afraid to look into the other's eyes. Another science had emerged, and this one was called chemistry.

The spell was broken when they both smiled bashfully. Eager to start a new conversation, anything to take his mind off of _her_, Edd looked up and was surprised to find a small body of water before them. He hadn't even realized they were walking the whole time.

"Oh, we reached the swimming hole already?" Nazz pulled the words right out of his mouth. "…huh."

Looking over the lake's pristine surface, an idea blossomed in Edd's mind and slowly flourished on his face in the guise of a wily grin. It was something Nazz couldn't help but notice.

"…Double D?"

"Back up, I wanna try something." At his command, she stood back closer to the trees, and Edd turned to face her, excited. "I was tossing this around in my head earlier, and now I've got the chance to see if it works."

Nazz beamed, mirroring his excitement. She eagerly watched his next move, wondering what he was cooking up.

Edd raised his hands and created a standard force field, as usual. Then, with an invisible push, the orb settled on the ground in front of him, its top curve at about the same height as his waist. He slowly backed up, hands still outstretched to keep his field in place, then broke into a sprint and jumped. His arms flew under his legs as his body compressed, ever focused on the sphere, until his feet planted themselves on its surface, shining with a brief glow. Edd wobbled, trying to steady himself as he balanced atop the ball like a circus performer.

When at last he could stand up straight, he gave off a showy pose indeed, and Nazz applauded.

"Yay, Double D!"

"See, focal points help keep my focus narrowed on the force field," Edd tensely explained, doing his best to maintain his balance. "Usually it's my hands, but in this case, my feet work just as well."

"Awesome!"

"Now…" He eyed the swimming hole slyly. "Let's see if my other theory works."

He didn't even have to move his feet; with a simple push from his mind and a lean forward, Edd was moving ahead atop his ride. He rode it much like a snowboard: knees bent, front facing his left, body leaned with a perfect shift in weight, refusing to let his clothes, dancing in the wind, to bother him.

There came a splash on impact when the orb hit the water, but when the mist parted, Nazz could see him skiing effortlessly across the lake's surface, the ball rolling as easily as if on glass.

"Woo! Go, Double D, go!"

Her cheer were a hefty encouragement. On the next lap around the lake, a quick change in focal points, and Edd was nimbly poised on his hands as the field kept going. Nazz laughed at his antics in entertainment.

This confidence didn't last long, however, as Edd began to tip over, and in his initial panic, he lost focus, and the force field vanished.

"WAH!" His limbs waved about erratically before he took an ungraceful dive into the water with a hefty splash.

Nazz gasped, and her laughter doubled.

Edd surfaced seconds later, giving her an inward smirk from under the brim of his comically soaked hat. Embarrassed, he swam back to the bank, and she offered a hand, to which he gratefully took to help pull him out of the water.

"Okay…" he began, wringing out the dampness from his hat. "…I'll have to work on the focus bit."

Nazz giggled. "Probably. Might be easier if you weren't trying to impress someone."

Edd threw her a look of mock shock, hands moving to his hips. "I was _not_ trying to impress you!"

"As if! And just what was that handstand for?"

"I'll have you know that has the potential of a _tactical maneuver_ if you pulled it off correctly…!"

"A maneuver to win you extra points in gymnastics, maybe!"

The two shared a hearty laugh before Edd conjured up another force field to try it again, flashing her a devious grin.

"You just sit back and keep watching. With practice, I'll get this down solid!"

--

Some time later, after about ten to fifteen tries, Nazz, who was keeping track, determined Edd's record to be twenty seconds without losing focus and taking a swim. Over half the times he had fallen in were due to him glancing her way for too long. She noticed, but chose but to bring it up.

Finally, Edd collapsed next to her, tired and wet, as they sat propped up on the same tree. They gazed at the glittering waters, painted orange by the dusky sunset, while Edd caught his breath.

"Well… I… _almost_ got it down solid…"

"You're getting there. At least you're practicing."

"Yes… that's… always a good thing… whew…"

After a hefty sigh, Edd sat up and continued to watch the sunset, and the two were once again wrapped in silence.

Finally, Nazz asked, "So… have you thought about it?"

"Hmm?" Edd lethargically replied, looking over.

"Are you staying or going?"

Edd took a minute to think it through. It was much easier to when there wasn't as much on his mind; now he could make a clear, sensible decision.

"…I don't think we're ready yet," he began truthfully. "It's such a huge step, and we only just got our powers two days ago… I, for one, need time to get used to all this."

Nazz nodded in agreement. "Makes sense."

"Plus there's regular school we have to finish…"

"Yeah, it'd be easier if you went in the summer."

"If we _do_ go… See, my gut's telling me we shouldn't go at all."

"Vull, huh?"

"Exactly." He held his knees to his chest tensely. "Something about him doesn't feel right… and yet I know the other two are excited to go. A little part of me is too. But…" He sighed, defeated. "You can see my conflict here."

"Right, yeah…" Hesitantly, Nazz continued, "…If it means anything… I'd miss you guys."

Well, _that_ was a new one. Edd stared back at her incredulously. "Seriously?"

"Well, yeah, I mean… The cul-de-sac wouldn't be the same without you."

Edd laughed in spite of himself. "Even though we try to take your money at every turn?"

"You could be doing worse… Look…" Nazz gave him a meaningful glance. "Sure, you've done stupid stuff, but… they're not so bad in the long run… and y'know, I've never really hated you guys all that much… so yeah, I _would_ miss you…_especially_ you."

It was meant to be comforting, no doubt, but, deep in thought, Edd looked away forlornly.

"…Double D?"

"Let me ask you a question," he spoke dryly. "And be honest with me." Slowly, he turned back to her, eyes quietly demanding. "All those things you said, this sudden pleasant behavior around me… is it all just because of our superpowers?"

Nazz was taken aback, but she didn't answer immediately. After some thought, guilt resurfaced. "That… might be part of it, but… look, if you were really as bad as everyone made you out to be, you wouldn't have helped us all escape, right?"

Edd was sure there was a rebuttal for that, but he couldn't think of one. "…Well…"

Nazz shifted to fully face him. "I told you, I really don't hate you guys. Sometimes I… I feel bad for the way the others treat you. Just because you guys don't fit in doesn't mean we get to treat you like garbage."

Edd was hardly believing what he was hearing. His expression was all shock now. "N…Nazz…"

"A-and then there's you," she continued, smiling demurely. "You're the nicest guy I know. You're smart, funny…cute…"

Edd almost didn't catch the last part, it was so quiet. "W-what?"

"Oh… nothing."

Edd swallowed a blush. "I…I see."

Nazz looked him over fondly. "…I feel stupid for not seeing it before…"

Edd coughed, feeling her gaze bore into the back of his head, as it became too much to look at her. "Erm… maybe it's because we've… never spent an extended amount of time together."

"Well…" He stiffened when she felt her scoot closer, and her touch on his arm made him turn back to her…_drop dead gorgeous_ smile. "If you stay… we could change that."

Time briefly slowed down. This was completely unreal to Edd. Forget the superpowers, forgot the attack, he had never been approached like this by someone so goshdarn beautiful in his entire life. Most of him was scared, terrified, even, but a small part of him was _rejoicing_. How could he have guessed that she actually…

It was then he noticed an unseen force was slowly closing the distance between their faces, whether they were aware of it or not. Edd's heart leaped into his throat, and there it would remain as he subconsciously shut his eyes, awaiting what he deeply hoped would be his first, real…

_SWEEN!_

A shot of static broke the two from their trance, jumping up and away from each other in shock. Nazz screamed, whereas Edd clutched his pounding chest breathlessly, one beat away from a heart attack. It took him a moment to recover, panting.

_Did I… did we just… did I almost get…oh my lord._

His mortification would've continued had not the two looked up and noticed another desire hovering before them. It was a small, flat disc this time, floating on the same rings of energy. Another buzz, and the disc flipped and projected a full hologram before them, as if there before them stood…

"Vull," Edd half growled, half wheezed. Of _course_ it was him. He should've seen that coming a mile away.

"_Greetings._" A hand drew from his large cloak to briefly wave before retreating back in. Looking the two over, he feigned a concerned expression. "_…Oh, I _am _sorry if I interrupted anything._"

"Yeah, I _bet_ you are," Nazz bit back irately. "Creep."

Still catching his breath, Edd mumbled, "What do you want?"

"_Your answer, actually,_" Vull answered simply. "_I think it's safe to say I've given you ample time to think it over, and I figured you'd be the best representative of your little trio._"

As much as he hated to admit it, Edd have to give him that last part. Recovering, he got to his feet to face him fully. Nazz followed suit for support.

"Fair enough. I _do_ have my answer, actually."

"_Well, then?_"

"And the answer's no."

Edd paused to calmly marvel the look of confusion that crossed Vull's stoic features.

"I'm sorry, but we're just not ready yet," he continued, trying to be reasonable. "Everything's happening too fast. We need time to adapt to all this, finish school… you understand."

Vull's bewilderment melted into disappointment. He sighed. "_…that's a shame_."

Edd bowed his head in respect. "…I know. Perhaps the summer would be a better time to…"

"_Oh, no, that won't be necessary._"

But he looked up strangely at that sudden change in tone. "…what?"

"_It's a shame, indeed..._" His hand resurfaced and outstretched itself before them. Though he was many miles away, it felt close enough to touch.

"_A shame… that I have to resort to this._"

And that's when he grabbed Nazz.

It happened too fast to fully comprehend. The holographic hand that was supposed to pass right through them seized a tight grip on the girl's arm, and before she knew it, she was pulled towards him, a _significantly_ greater distance than it seemed. To Edd's eyes, she was now wrapped in the same projection static the taller man was, and it took them both a few seconds to realize they were no longer any _near_ each other's side.

"N…Nazz!"

"_D-Double…!_" She glanced around frightfully at a new environment he couldn't see, then gawked up at Vull. "_W…what'd you do??_"

"_Very simple, lass. This is a kidnapping._"

_Matter transportation…?_ "…You…" Finally, the rage deeply buried inside Edd erupted like a volcano. "You…_scum! Give her back!_"

Vull smiled normally, Nazz's angry punching and tugging failing to faze him. "_Hardly a convincing argument. Hostage situations must not be your strong suit._"

"_Let _go_, you jerk! Double D!!_"

"_Nazz!_" Simultaneously, they reached out to each other, her hand passing through his like a ghost, disturbing the projection briefly.

"_Don't bother wasting your energy. We're thousands of miles away._"

Edd was refusing to believe what was unfolding before him. She was _right there_, it seemed, an arm's length away, and yet he could do nothing to save her. He would've felt helpless had not anger replaced it for a moment.

"Let her go, Vull!" he fiercely demanded. "She has nothing to do with this!"

"_Oh, but now she has _everything _to do with it._" He gave her a gentle grin laced with hidden malice, igniting her fury further as she futility tried to escape his clutch. "_First lesson: hostages are taken to fulfill the desires of the villain responsible. They become key tools in a master plan._"

Edd gaped incredibly. "Wha… what does that got to do with anything??"

"_Simple. I want you three to come to the academy. Apparently self-motivation wasn't enough. So by taking what _you _desire, I have now given you a reason to come after all. Funny how it all works out in my favor._"

"Th-this is unbelievable…!"

"_Believe it, lad, if you wish to see your precious Nazz ever again._"

Edd was ready to rebuttal, but that shot down his confidence like a heat-seeking missile. Helplessness finally surfaced as he gazed her way. Her equally frail glance tore his heart in two.

Heavy in guilt, Edd shamefully lowered his gaze. "…f-fine. You win."

"_Splendid!_" Vull's delighted tone was only salt in the wound. "_You'll need to find your own means of transport. All part of the preliminary testing, I'm afraid._"

That was irrelevant to Edd. When at last he glanced up, there was a dangerous, boiling glint in his narrowed eyes.

"If you hurt _one hair_ on her head…"

"_I wouldn't dream of it. This is only a test, remember? How soon can we expect you?_"

"Hard to tell. You never gave us your location."

"_Oh, yes, that's right, of course. Forgive me, I'm awfully forgetful._"

Suddenly, something flat slapped against Edd's back, knocking the wind out of him, and wrapped itself around his slender torso like a corset. It was a mix of tough plastic and polyester, trimmed with buried wires. Clenched firmly on his chest, he found it difficult to escape, as pulling and tugging did nothing to remove it.

"Wh…what _is _this??"

"_An efficient, non-digital data transfer,_" Vull replied calmly as he watched Edd writhe about in panic, arms twisting and searching for triggers of any sort. "_Another useful invention left off the market. All the details you'll need for reaching the academy are provided in the compartment on your chest, there. It'll activate once you wake up._"

Edd fingered the aforementioned box on the belt, then quickly glanced up. "Wait… wake up?"

"_Oh, yes. In a few seconds, the belt will shock you with a series of special electric pulses designed to pacify Super Children. It's rather potent, especially for one of your stature, so you'll probably be unconscious for a few hours. That should be plenty of time for your friends to find you._"

"Wait, _what?_ Why??"

"_To ensure you don't foolishly follow this transmitting device back without receiving my instructions. And to prepare you for what's in store, of course. Good luck to you._"

As if on cue, the belt sparked, and Edd was suddenly hit with a visible, white-hot burst of crackling electricity. He lurched back at the pulse, crying out in intense pain as the thousands of volts jarred every nerve and bone in his body. As they reached his brain, his invisibility triggered on and off as he staggered about dizzily, losing strength by the second.

"_Double D!!_"

At her alarmed cry, the last of his disorientated thoughts were focused on Nazz. He feebly reached out around to her a final time, watching it pass through her detachedly in slow motion. He barely realized the movement had thrown him off balance, his vision blurring like spilled watercolors as he hit the ground, the impact echoing in throbs in his head.

_Na…zz…I'm…so…sor…ry…_

--

"No! Double D!" Finally, Nazz had broken free of Vull's grip, collapsing beside her fallen friend. Of course, her desperate hands failed to touch his prone form, disturbing his projection with a static fizz. When he flickered away, her hands clenched fierce fists on the cold concrete floor, and she turned to glare up hatefully at her captor.

"Y…you _creep!_" She leaped up to attack him, only to have a pair of soldiers emerge from the shadows behind her, catching her by the arms. "Let go! _Vull!_"

"Relax, young lass, if you cooperate, everything will run smoothly," Vull assured, beginning a slow walk elsewhere. "They'll have no choice but to come for you now, so you'll be seeing them soon enough."

"Urgh!" Nazz adamantly struggled to escape, an urge to wring his lean neck as he passed her by.

"Place her in one of the rooms. Lock her in, of course, but have her meals prepared well. All will be for naught if we lose her."

"Agh! _Just you watch!_" Nazz bellowed as they began to drag her away. "They'll come, alright! To kick your sorry butt!"

Vull slowly turned back to her, flashing then most pretentious smirk before he slipped away into the darkness.

"I would _love_ to see them try."

--

A/N: Well, that took forever. Guh, why do I write such long chapters? XD

Anyways… if you're an artist, visit my dA page. We're about halfway through the plot, so I thought maybe an art contest would be appropriate. But we shall see.

In the meantime, please review!


	10. Make it Sound Easy

A/N: So… the contest is done… but here's a consolation prize for everyone! Chapter 10! Yay! I was gonna post it Wednesday, when the contest was actually ending, but I'm just too excited to wait! Let's get it started right away!

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Chapter 10: Make it Sound Easy

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--

The first thing Edd noticed when he began regaining consciousness was that his head massively hurt. No surprise there.

He didn't rush to awaken, one step at a time. He groaned tiredly, his throat dry. He shifted slight, his body stiff and still a bit sore. Finally, once he had gathered the strength to, he slowly lifted his heavy eyelids.

And there he was presented with a pair of large eyes, connected by a thick unibrow. Which succeeded in waking him up much quicker.

"**WAH!**"

"Double D!" Ed chorused, grinning ear to ear. "You're _alive!_"

Edd blinked at him. "…Sh-should I have been otherwise?"

"Uh… I'unno," Ed shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "We heard screaming and found you in the woods."

"The woods…?" Just then, the events before he lost consciousness came rushing back into his memories, and he began to feel sick. "…oh… no…"

Ed's grin faded. "Double D?"

"Oh, no… oh, no no no…" Edd moaned, holding his head in his hands.

"D-Double D!"

"Hey, what's the word, Ed?" Eddy finally entered the living room, approaching the couch they had placed their stunned companion on. "Well, _finally_ he's awake… huh?"

"…no… n-no…!"

"Hey, _hey!_" Edd's mad trembling was starting to freak Eddy out. "What's the problem??"

"…sh… she…" Edd gulped in between dry sobs. "S-she's gone…"

"What? _Who's_ gone?"

"…she's gone… he _took_ her and now she's gone…!"

"Double D, _calm down!_"

"…and I… I couldn't save her… I couldn't do anything to help her and now she's…!"

"_Double D!_"

"…Vull took Nazz."

One outside voice was all it took to bring the hysteria to a halt. The Eds' gazes moved as one to the doorway, where Kevin was leaned on the door frame in a typical posture of tense questioning. His boring gaze, however, was solely fixed on Edd.

"…didn't he?"

The boy sniffled. "…K…Ke… I'm so sorry…"

"What're you apologizing to me for?" the jock briskly replied. "I wasn't the one who got kidnapped."

It was not a reply that was expected from him. Properly confused, Eddy gave him the strangest look. "…Wait, hang on, I thought you two were…"

Kevin shook his head. "Nope." He pushed himself off the doorway as the other kids migrated in. "But I _think_ we're kinda missing the point here."

None of them argued with that. Hit with heavy guilt, Edd buried his face again into his propped-up knees, detachedly listening to the bustling voices of panic whirl around him like a twister.

"_What??_ He kidnapped her??"

"When? How? _Why??_"

"What's going on??"

"I'm lost! Somebody find me!"

"Hey, hey, HEY!" A flash of flames in the center of the crowd spooked them all like a school of fish. A small yet imposing Eddy was left standing in the middle. "Everybody _slow down!_" He rolled his eyes at the fit of giggled that followed. "Ha, ha, yeah, funny joke, whatever! Look, if everyone could just _chill,_ we can find out what the heck's going on! _Okay??_"

They were all too surprised to object, and the room was once again tensely quiet. Eddy sighed and turned, making eye contact with Ed, who nodded in understanding. He placed a reassuring hand on Edd's shoulder, gaining a jump and a questioning gaze from teared-up eyes.

"Double D…" he spoke simply, with a sympathetic smile. "What happened?"

Edd hesitated for obvious reasons, trying to wipe his eyes dry with his knuckles. He kept his gaze below eye level; this time being the center of attention was hardly comforting.

"…I…" He sniffed again, made all the more difficult by his injured nose. "…I-I-I was outside for… f-for meditative purposes when… s-she followed and we… w-we talked and walked through the woods, that's it, that's all…"

The more the younger ones giggled, the shakier his voice grew.

"Hey, come on, let him talk! Geez!" Eddy hissed.

It was a while before Edd could continue. "…we reached the swimming hole and… that's when he appeared…" He paused, bringing a hand to his forehead. "…i-it happened so fast…b-before I knew it… it was too late. He had her… and there was nothing I could do."

A moment of silence followed as Edd waited for them to lay on the guilt, as if he wasn't holding enough.

"So… the bad guy got away." At his friend's casual tone, Edd finally glanced up into Eddy's wily grin. "So what? We'll just go and get her back. No big deal."

"You make it sound easy," Sarah observed with a smirk.

"No one asked you, twerp."

"Rolf fails to understand why Vull would apprehend go-go Nazz-girl in the first place," the son-of-a-shepherd mused, Jonny nodding beside him.

"Yes, that, and what exactly _is_ that strange device on his person?" Jimmy added, pointing out the previously-ignored, corset-like belt, still wrapped around Edd's torso.

"Good question." Kevin turned back to the Eds. "Well?"

Ed and Eddy shrugged innocently, unaware of the details their companion had failed to bring up. With that in mind, attention once again landed on Edd, and he churned in his seat meekly.

Thankfully, the device would answer the questions for him.

Everyone, especially Edd, jumped when it suddenly buzzed to life with a static groan, like an interrupted radio frequency. It took a minute to struggle through its booting-up process, as the kids looked at each other while it droned on. One could easily compared the sound to an internet dial tone.

Finally, a projection lens opened on the box fixated on Edd's chest, and on the wall in front of them flickered an image of a painfully familiar face.

"_Greetings once again, Super Children._"

"Hiya, Vull!" Ed waved… again.

Edd sulked, mainly in disappointment. He had hoped the next time he'd see Vull's mug would be in person, so his could deliver a proper blow to that face.

"Vull!" Eddy shot up to his feet. "You nutbag! Why'd you take Nazz, huh??"

"_Shh!_" Surprisingly, Jonny shushed him. "Don't waste your breath, Eddy! Plank says it's a recorded message."

"_If you are receiving this message, it means I have gotten your reply to my proposal. Apparently I forgot to note that I wasn't planning on taking 'no' for an answer._"

Eddy glanced Edd's way. "You told him no?"

Edd nodded. "I did. Because I thought we _had _a choice."

"So he took Nazz just 'cause you said no?" Sarah exclaimed, appalled. "What a jerk!"

"_It's most unfortunate that I've had to resort to such measures, but as superheroes, you'll discover hostage situations are a most potent form of motivation. In most cases, it's best to answer the demands of the villain. Consider that your first lesson._"

"_What_ is he talking about?" Kevin asked ignorantly.

"'Answer the demands'…" Jonny huffed. "Sounds more like what a _coward_ would do, not a superhero."

"_With this in mind, my demands are simple. I want you three to come to the academy. I guarantee you'll learn much more when you do so._"

"Ah, so the Nazz-girl has become bait," Rolf sighed disapprovingly. "Most shameful."

"How horrid!" Jimmy gasped. "What'll you do?"

Edd shook his head. "We're out of other options. We can't just leave her in his clutches."

"So we're gonna go save her, right?" Ed chorused. "Super Eds to the rescue!"

As if on cue, a flat disk halfway popped out of the box, from a slit under the projection lends, Hesitantly, Edd pulled it out and looked it over as Vull's message continued.

"_The diskette currently ejecting from the device contains the location of the academy, as well as other important geographic details. You are responsible for your own means of transportation, as stated in the guidelines of the preliminary testing. The testing occurs in stages as you approach the academy._"

"Testing?" Eddy made a face.

"Aww…" Ed pouted. "I'm no good at tests."

"Don't worry, Ed," Edd softly replied. "We'll be working together on this one."

"Goody!"

"_The hostage will remain on the grounds, unharmed, until you complete the testing. I wish the best of luck to you, and hope to see you very, very soon._"

With that, his smug face vanished from the wall. The room was briefly quiet.

And then the device began to repeatedly beep, and afterwards spoke the typical, dreaded message that always seemed to be voiced by the calmest woman in the world.

"_This message will self-destruct_."

But calm was hardly a word to describe the reaction.

"_AHH!_ Get it off, _get it off!_" Those who weren't running in circles or ducking under chairs were trying to pry the beeping, blinking, suddenly dangerous mechanism from off Edd's person, writhing and wiggling in a whirling dervish of panic. Finally, Ed ripped it off with a heavy tug, running to the window Eddy had thrown open and tossing it into the street. The explosion seconds later was not as devastating as expected, but it did leave a good charred impression on the asphalt.

It took a few minutes for everyone to calm down after averting one close call, as the whole room seemed to sigh in relief. Edd clutched at his freed chest, not sure whether he felt less or more vulnerable.

"That was close," Kevin understated.

"That was _awesome!_" Jonny enthusiastically added, promptly receiving a whack upside the head, courtesy of Sarah.

Snickering briefly at the scene, Eddy turned back to his teammates. "So… what now?"

Edd's gaze fell as he slowly lifted the disk he was still holding. His bright eyes then glanced up and flashed with a determination one rarely saw in the feeble youth.

"Simple, Eddy. We find out where we're going, and then we rescue Nazz."

--

Unfortunately, things were never that simple. After loading the content of the disk onto Edd's outdated modem (he was saving up for a more efficient computer), the Eds discovered that reaching the academy would be much tougher than they thought.

The latitude-longitude coordinates placed it within the northern Atlantic Ocean, on an uncharted island just west of the Bermuda Triangle. Edd and Eddy decided, respectfully, that either clever concealing techniques or hefty bribes kept the island off the maps.

The academy itself lied in the center of the island, surrounded by thick woods, the trees used as material and energy, as well as several types of practice grounds. Sea weather had also produced marshes in some parts of the forests, and caution was recommended near the deepest of bogs.

Given their current location in the Midwest, they decided the best way to reach the island would be by air. And since it was unlikely they could book a flight traditionally, they had no choice but to construct the proper aircraft themselves. This wouldn't be a prop to help sell a scam; Edd made sure to design a craft that would actually take them that distance and back.

He worked well into the night on this, thoughts of a certain someone consistently running through his mind. His friends found him in his basement the next morning, snoring atop the completed blueprints for the compact plane.

--

"How's it looking in there so far, Double D?"

"It's getting there…" Leaned into the exposed engine from atop a high ladder, Edd straightened up and glanced down at his partners. He lifted his goggles, which had left their clean shape on an otherwise smoky face. A rivet gun was in his other gloved hand. "The engine's mostly fastened in, but I'll need another box of rivets and some more plating."

"You got it! Ed?"

"Coming right up!"

As Ed searched through their crates of supplies, Eddy took a quick visual survey of their progress. Considering how it was already noon, they were making pretty good time, as the outer frame of their three-seat airplane was pretty much complete. It looked bigger than it actually was inside Edd's garage, standing high off the ground on used but durable junkyard tires, its wings suspended high above their heads. Though it was not professional work, it was nothing short of impressive, and neither Ed nor Eddy expected any less from their engineer of a friend. Aside from saving the world, this would probably become his second hobby.

"Order up!" Ed broke Eddy's train of though by dumping the requested material in his arms before skipping away and returning to…whatever he was doing. After shooting an irritated glare towards the back of his head, Eddy dashed up the ladder, stopping a step below Edd, who was clutching to the plane's edge for dear life.

"…_Please_ don't rock the ladder, Eddy," he tensely grumbled.

"Hey, how else am I supposed to get this stuff up to you?" Eddy replied, lifting them up to him.

"Just exercise a little more caution! Is that too much to ask??"

"…no…" Eddy quietly answered, genuinely surprised by the bitter comeback. Edd hesitated, then turned back to his work, delving into the dark hole in the plane's side.

Nonchalantly, Eddy climbed onto the wing nearby, sitting comfortably with his legs carelessly swinging in the air. He watched Edd intently, his wiry frame wracking with each metallic thud as he pumped rivets into place. The loud, gun-like pops didn't seem to bother him much, but they were becoming to monotonous for Eddy's liking.

"…Bet you're wondering, 'why isn't he asking?'"

The question was outlandish enough to draw Edd away from his work. "What?"

"You can't hide it," Eddy smirked, leaned forward coyly. "I _know_ you are."

Catching on, Edd raised a brow, lifting his goggles again. "Really. Have you gotten psychic powers now, too?"

"Nope. I wouldn't need 'em to read _you_, though. You practically wear your heart of your sleeve."

Silence was Edd's answer. No sense in denying what was true.

"But with _Ed_… my head would probably explode if I tried to read him."

"'Cause my skull's _impenetrable_, right, Eddy?" the oaf called from below, gaining a few laughs.

"Right on, Lumpy!"

Swiftly recovering, Edd popped another rivet into the frame. "To answer your assumption, I hadn't even thought of it."

"_Right._ And I'm the Duke of Deli-Meat."

Edd placed his tool in the box of leftover rivets, set them aside, and turned to fully face Eddy. "Seems to me you think that all I care about is your opinion of me."

"Nope."

"No?"

"Nope. I just know you too darn well."

Edd sighed. "Eddy…"

"So were you wondering?"

"Eddy!"

"Were you?"

Edd glared. "… a little."

"Aha!" Eddy grinned victoriously, but quickly shifted back into sly mode. "Well, I'm not asking you why you're so uptight, _or_ what's stuck up your butt, because I already know."

"Do you now."

"Yup. You wanna do the honors, or should I?"

"No, please, go ahead. Enlighten me."

Eddy couldn't help but enjoy the witty banters he shared with his Sockhead, who was just too much fun to mess with. Even when delving into a more serious matter, he tried to keep the conversation light.

"Alright, well…" he began slowly in mock thought. "You're worried about Nazz. That's a no-brainer. But you must've made _some _headway during your little walk in the woods, 'cause now I'm guessing you'd go to the ends of the earth just to rescue her."

Edd didn't reply, but his tinted cheeks betrayed him.

"Thought so. So what happened in the woods, hmm?"

"…you'll probably be disappointed."

Eddy sighed in exasperation. "I won't _know_ until you spill the beans."

Edd sighed as well. "Fine, you win." He leaned back, his gaze trailing off. "We walked silently for a few minutes… then she apologized for the things she said during the lockdown… I told her it was fine… and then I proceeded to explain to scientific laws responsible for my powers."

Eddy rolled his eyes. "Because science is _totally_ romantic."

"Hey, she _asked_ me to!" Edd insisted. "And she listened with fine interest, thank you very much!"

"Whatever you say, Casanova. Keep going."

Edd glared again before continuing. "_Anyway_… we reached the swimming hole, and I practiced a new maneuver with her encouragement. Then we talked for a bit and…!" He froze. He had almost completely forgotten about the tiniest end detail.

Eddy arched a brow. "And?"

Edd bit his lip, swallowing a lump in his throat. "I…we…um…"

"Yeah?"

Edd shut his eyes tight. "…we almost kissed."

He reopened them to find Eddy's eyes wide with child-like fascination. "_No. Way._"

"Yeah."

Eddy grinned giddily, then laughed. "Okay, I can tell you right now, that is _not_ disappointing!"

Edd smiled softly, pleased by his reaction, but turned away to continue his work. "I said 'almost,' though… Vull appeared before we could…"

Eddy gaped. "Vull interrupted your first kiss??" He laughed incredibly, falling back onto the wing in his mirth. "Aw, _man!_ What a first-class jerk! No wonder you're so mad at him!"

"That among other multiple reasons…" Edd muttered, pursing his lips. "…mmm, I'm worried the rivets alone won't hold the engine in place. I'm going to need some heat, Eddy."

He sat up. "Huh?"

"Give me your hand, please."

"Uh…" Eddy did so without protest, and Edd waited until he got the hint and snapped his fingers, and a bright blue flame erupted above his thumb. Edd winced, however, and the flame disappeared.

"Ow… okay, maybe a face guard would help."

"_Maybe._"

Ignoring Eddy, Edd called down, "Ed! Could you find the welding mask and bring it up?"

"Sure thing, Double D!"

While Ed clambered through boxes down below, it was silent with the other two for a few moments. Once again, Eddy took to observing his hatted friend, who was feigning interest in his work. He was obviously distracted by something else, something he hadn't brought up yet.

"…I don't think Vull's the only guy you're mad at."

"Okay, now that's just ridiculous," Edd replied a bit too quickly, clamping his lips in embarrassment. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Honestly, who else could I possibly blame for this mess?"

"Oh, I dunno, _you_, maybe."

Edd visibly flinched. Bulls-eye.

"…am I… am I really that obvious?"

"_Yeah_." Both glanced down in surprise, as Ed had spoken up simultaneously with Eddy from below.

Guilt plastered onto Edd's face, which was not Eddy's intention. "Hey, I'm not _saying_ it's your fault! I was just…!"

"I was _right there_…" Edd quietly interrupted, his voice trembling. "She was right there beside me and… I could do _nothing_ to save her…" He clenched anxious fists. "I mean, if I had known or if I'd been a little quicker, I…!"

"Hey, hey!" Eddy took a firm grip on his shoulder. "Would you relax? So you screwed up, big deal! We've had our powers for, what, two days? _No one's_ the perfect superhero on two days! It doesn't work that way and you _know_ that!"

"I know, _I know!_" Edd sighed shakily, rubbing a pressure point on his forehead during their pause. "I just… I worried."

"About what?"

Edd's hand clenched at the hole's edge firmly. "…I'm worried that I won't be ready when I need to be." He glanced up at his friend forlornly. "I'm not like you, Eddy. I've always envied your ability to adapt to a situation and make such snap decisions with no regrets… if only I had an iota of your confidence, I…"

Well, _this_ was something new. Eddy _never_ received compliments, or was ever envied for _anything_. Not until now, at least. And he had to admit, Double D's current openness had succeeded in impressing him.

With that, he smiled and leaned forward. "Wanna know my secret?"

Thinking he was being serious, Edd looked up hopefully and leaned equally closer. "Yes?"

A dramatic pause, then, "…I don't worry about _anything_."

Edd looked disappointed. "…that's it?"

"Ignorance is bliss, my friend!" He leaned back. "Seriously, though, quit worrying about yourself. Have a little self-esteem, will you?"

Edd said nothing, soaking it in.

"Look, the more you worry about it, the more likely you'll freak out later and something bad'll happen. Forget the slip-ups and go with the flow. It's not that hard."

Edd nodded slowly. "…I guess I'll learn that overtime."

"Right! And hey, we're getting better with our powers anyway, right? Heck, you were trying out a new move at the swimming hole! Which you'll have to show us later, by the way."

Finally, Eddy got a grin out of his buddy. "Remind me later." He turned to face Ed, who handed over his face guard. "Thank you, Ed."

"No prob, Double D!"

Securing it to his head, he gestured to Eddy again, who rolled his eyes and literally lent him a hand.

As he used the heat to weld metal into place, Edd spoke above the crackle. "You're right, though, Eddy. Maybe I _do_ worry a bit too much."

"More like a _lot_. I've been telling you to relax for years! It's unhealthy, y'know, being so uptight!"

"And sheer recklessness is a healthy alternative, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah! …well, mostly."

"I would think a _balance_ between the two would be more appropriate."

"Of _course_ you would."

"…you know, of course, that I'd hate to interrupt our comical quarrel," Edd changed his tone, lifting his mask and looking up. "But there's a nagging question I need to address."

"Shoot."

"Wasn't Ed sitting next to us, _seconds_ ago?"

"…uh…" Eddy scratched his head. "I think so…"

"But I didn't feel him come up the ladder. How'd he get up here so quickly?"

In unison, the pair glanced downwards at their third party, who was observing the row of wrenches he had arranged.

"…Ed?"

He snapped to attention. "Yes, Double D?"

Edd fished for something last-second, aimlessly pointing. "…that… tap wrench… could you bring it up to me?"

It was hard to see Ed's facial expression from their distance, but a knowing chuckle was enough to properly surprise them.

"Well, gee, Double D, if you wanna see how I did it, just ask!"

With that, there came a small zap and buzz, and in the next moment, he was right up beside them. He, however, had no physical support; he was floating in the nearby airspace, many feet above the ground. One of his fingers was fixed towards his feet, which were wrapped in blue cellular light and stiffened, along with the rest of his lower legs and knees.

He marveled their stunned faces with a boyish grin.

"…you're flying," Eddy noted flatly.

"Aww, you noticed," Ed mocked a bashful wave of his free hand.

Eddy turned his shock to an equally stupefied Sockhead. "How's he doing that??"

Edd's wide eyes were glued to Ed, his mouth seeming to move on its own accord. "…zero-point energy… allows him to lift objects into the air with precise control… but when used on a portion of his own body…!" A grin flourished on his face. "Ed! You've given yourself the ability of _flight!_"

"Hooray!" Ed pumped his fists into the air, causing a shift in weight distribution that made him fall backwards. He was now flipped over, craning his neck to give them an upside-down grin. The three shared a hearty laugh.

"Better watch your balance, Lumpy!" Eddy exclaimed. "Your head's thicker and heavier than you think!"

"Working on that, Eddy!" Ed proceeded to practice, flying laps around the garage.

"See??" Eddy lightly whacked Edd on the shoulder. "We're getting better already! We don't need no _classes_ to learn new stuff to do with our powers!"

Edd knew that already. He gave Eddy an inward smirk. "We still have to rescue Nazz, of course."

"Well, yeah, but he can't _make _us sign up. And if he tries to, we'll grab her and split!"

"…Sarah's right. You make things sound so much easier then they'll turn out to be."

"'Cause I don't _worry_ about 'em. We've been through this, Double D."

"Okay, alright, I get it!" Edd sighed irritably, lifting a sheet of plating into place, covering up the hole. "See what happens and roll with the punches, right?"

"See? You're getting it now!" As Edd held the rivet gun at ready, Eddy added, "Just think of how happy Nazz'll be to see _you_ once we get there."

A pause, then four solid thuds in quick succession.

"Frame's done," Edd announced, suddenly more motivated. "Now all I have to do is install the guidance system, and we'll be ready to go."

"Sweet!" Eddy hopped onto the ladder, ready to descend. "I'll leave you to it, then."

"Hey, Eddy?"

"Huh?" He looked up into Edd's sincere expression.

"…thanks."

Eddy waited. Edd raised a brow.

"…what, no sappy cliché? 'You're a good friend?' 'You keep me strong?'"

Edd smiled knowingly. "No sappy cliché, Eddy."

"That's what I like to hear."

--

A/N: Have I already said I love writing dialogue? I'm sure I have. XD Yeah, sorry there was no real ACTION, but at least I'm moving the plot forward. Please review!


	11. The Adventure Begins

A/N: So if you're wondering why I haven't been drawing lately… it's 'cause I've been hit with brainwaves that make me actually write my fic! Wow! So what do you say we get chapter 11 rolling, yeah?

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Chapter 11: The Adventure Begins

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--

--

The craft was quickly completed and pushed out into the street within a solid hour. It was parked at the hub of the cul-de-sac, facing away from the curb, as Rethink Avenue was to be its makeshift runway.

The Eds were just about ready to go, but the neighborhood kids showing up delayed them slightly. They hadn't expected anyone to see them off, to be honest.

"You listen up, Ed!" Sarah took on a familiar catty tone, though the words didn't quite match up. "You be careful and come back not dead, got it??"

Ed snapped to a salute. "Sarah, Roger! …I mean, Roger, Sarah!"

"Oh!" Jimmy waved him down. "And if you see any more of those brutish soldiers, smack 'em around for me, okay?"

"You got it, Jimmy!"

There was a pause, where brother and sister made eye contact, _real_ eye contact, for the first time since either could remember. Then, without an exchange of words, Sarah flew into Ed's arms, silently wishing him a safe journey. It was a humungous improvement in their relationship, one that was almost expected, yet still garnered everyone's fair share of shock.

"…Surprising," Rolf commented beside Eddy. "Rolf is supposing Hades has frozen over as well, yes?"

A smirk was his answer. "Not only that, it's the new venue for Smurfs on Ice."

The son-of-a-shepherd laughed heartily, smacking Eddy hard on the back. He nearly coughed up a lung. "Ah… the cul-de-sac shall miss your tomfoolery, amusing Ed-boy! Still, a hero's work is never done, no?"

"Nope. But don't worry, we'll be back before you know it."

"Rolf has no doubt!" He paused. "…well… maybe a little."

Eddy sulked jokingly.

"…ah, alright…" Rolf scratched the back of his neck thoughtfully. "Say, then, if you return with the Nazz-girl within, oh, a week, perhaps… Rolf could guarantee a reward?"

Eddy's eyes lit up like Christmas lights. "A full bag of jawbreakers."

"That is your offer?" Rolf considered this briefly, then grinned. "Very well, then! The bet is set!"

"HA!" Eddy firmly clasped into an agreeing handshake. "Better start saving your change, stretch!"

"I shall! Good luck to you, Ed-boys!"

"_Wait!_" Eddy jumped a couple feet in the air when a voice shouted dramatically beside him. Its owner's identity was hidden with half a watermelon. "You can't leave yet! You'll need the aid of _Captain Melonhead and Splinter the Wonderwo…!_"

"Jonny, you're not going."

"Whaaaaaat?" The masked kid ditched the act, pouting. "Why not??"

Edd glanced up from his idle inspection of the plane.

"Because in case you haven't noticed, _we_ have the superpowers! _You_ don't!"

Edd sighed. He had expected a quarrel like this to flare up.

"So what! I can still help! Give a guy a chance, will ya?"

"Jonny…" Edd stepped in, gently surprising a few. "…This isn't a game anymore. We're heading off into serious danger, performing tests for a man whose intentions we have no clue of."

Facing this voice of reason, Jonny slumped, discouraged. A hand on his shoulder brought him up to Edd's sad, yet sincere smile.

"We appreciate the support, truly…" The smile dropped away. "…but they've already taken Nazz. We don't want to get anyone else involved if we can."

"…alright…"

"My apologies."

"S'okay." Jonny paused to listen to his silent buddy. "…Plank says if you can, sock that Vull in the face once for him."

"Oh, I will," Edd told the hunk of wood. "You can count on it."

His brain almost tricked him into believing he saw a change in Plank's smirk before Jonny walked away.

"Yo, Double Dweeb." He turned to his new addresser, unfazed by the outdated insult.

"Yes, Kevin?"

"Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Before answering, Edd checked to be sure they wouldn't be bothered. Ed was still preoccupied with Sarah and Jimmy, while Rolf was giving Eddy a… good-luck headlock, or something, while Jonny watched in amusement.

"…Sure." Edd faced Kevin, his square face unreadable and unnerving. Edd never felt completely at ease around this imposing young man, intimidated by so many of his outstanding features. Maybe that would change soon, but old habits die hard.

"…Listen, Kevin, I…" His defense automatically switched on, agitated by the slightest of pressure. "B-before anything else, I just wanted to apologize…"

Kevin put on the oddest of looks, snorting. "What _for?_"

Edd visibly gulped. "Well, I…"

"I don't believe this…" the jock muttered to himself. Was he… chuckling? "Why does everybody think me and Nazz are together?"

Edd wasn't sure what to make of that, so he ignored it and continued. "I… I know you've always had her eye on her… just like the rest of us…" His hands couldn't keep still, winding and wringing in front of him as his confidence plummeted. "…b-but I've always kept to the sidelines, not interfering with your pursuit of her…" His voice cracked as he pushed back his sobs. "…because I knew you had a better chance at her than me."

Frustration was shared equally between them; Kevin rolled his eyes in exasperation as Edd tried to make amends, wiping his damp eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, oh gosh, I'm so…!"

He froze when a hand clenched his wrist, firmly, no doubt, but it wasn't the usual death grip before a pummeling. It was probably the most harmless contact he had ever made with the frightened dork.

When he was certain there were no bruises in his immediate future, Edd relaxed his initial cringe and slowly lowered his hands, bringing his timid gaze up.

"Calm _down_," Kevin briskly mumbled. "You look pathetic."

…_Well_. At least that was a step above _being_ pathetic. Chagrined, Edd nodded, and Kevin pulled away. His hands went into his pockets. Suddenly, it was _his_ turn to feel dejected.

"…Look… You saved her life," he admitted, shrugging and chuckling mirthlessly. "I can't compete with that."

For a moment, Edd could only stare back blankly. When it finally sunk in, he gawked, raising a questioning finger. "…are you…?"

"Giving you permission to chase after her?" Kevin paused to ponder this, and it was hard to tell if he was being serious or not. "…I guess I am."

Hardly believing what he was hearing, Edd sighed and stammered and made other noises of hesitation. "I… I-I-I don't know what to say."

"Hey, I'm a jock," Kevin confidently pointed out. "It won't take me long to find another chick. You, though, being a grade-A dork and all, have a rare opportunity you probably won't ever get again."

Wow. Edd wasn't sure whether to cry, take offense, or graciously accept his overwhelming generosity.

"So… you're saying I can…?"

An encouraging smirk crossed his large face. "Go get her, dork."

Edd held his chest at bay as a flooding amount of relief, gratitude, and excitement poured out in warm flows. "Oh… I will, Kevin, I will… as long as she accepts me as well."

"I don't think that's gonna be a problem, dude," Kevin grinned. "Not after almost kissing her."

"Eddy told you that!?" Edd cried unbelievably, howling in vexation as Kevin laughed typically. "_Agh!_ I can _never _trust him with a secret, can I??"

"Probably not."

"Ugh…"

Snickering to himself, Kevin elbowed him. "Hey, quick question. Are you really gonna muster up the guts to punch that Vull guy in the face?"

"Oho, ho, you _bet_," Edd replied without missing a beat. "I'll hit him so hard, his _descendants_ will feel it." A pause. "…or is it his ancestors? I'm not familiar with the phrase."

He scowled at Kevin's laughing. "What??"

"Nothing. It just feels weird, hearing fighting words coming outta your mouth."

Finding the humor, Edd couldn't fight back a chuckle of his own. "You and I both, Kevin."

Another pause.

"…so what're you guys waiting for, the bus?? Get going!"

"Ahh!" Edd leaped into action, waving his companions down as he ran to the plane. "Let's _go!_ Launch sequence, _hurry!_"

"No time for lunch, Double D!" Ed hollered back, hopping into the plane behind him. "'Cause we gotta go get Nazz!"

Urgently, Edd sat down in front, flipping switches and starting the engine, which roared proudly as the propeller began its rapid rotations. The plane was ready for liftoff.

Edd threw back a thumbs-up to Eddy, who was still on the ground behind the plane's tail. With clearance, he took hold of the back wing and began to push with hefty grunts. It looked comical, to see such a small boy trying to get a full-sized aircraft off the ground, and the other kids watching were about to make that point.

Until Eddy began to pick up his feet.

They rapidly quickened in place until they became a red blurry ring underneath him, spurring up smoke from the asphalt. And the wheels began to turn as the plane was miraculously moving forward on its stretch down the street. Reaching the proper momentum, Edd pulled back on the control, and the cheering blew told him that liftoff was successful. Not to mention the house roofs disappearing under his line of vision.

The craft lifted itself over Eddy's head as he kept running, bathing in its grand shadow. He spun around, running backwards as he grinned and waved to his audience before he himself was grabbed and hoisted up on a blue cord of ZPE.

"And they're _off!_"

"_WOOOO!_"

"Right on!"

"Go, dorks, _go!_"

"_Good luck, Ed-boys!_"

The Eds waved back to them until the protective window encased them inside the craft, and they watched the kids become tiny specks below. And as their cul-de-sac home disappeared among the quilted suburbs of Peach Creek, the trio got a taste of how big the world really was.

Their adventure had begun.

--

"Got any fours, Ed?"

"Nope. Hit me, Eddy." _WHACK_. "Ow!"

"Bwahahaha!"

"Okay, seriously, Eddy, that joke stopped being funny, like, an hour ago."

"Hey, Ed's the one who keeps walking into it!"

"You get me every time, Eddy!"

Edd rolled his eyes at his buddies' antics, keeping his gaze up front as they cruised through misty clouds of ocean spray kicked into the stratosphere. Even with the guidance system, vision was difficult, and the backseat clamor didn't help on Edd's already strained nerves.

It was easier when they were still above land. The inland weather was ideal for flying, and Ed and Eddy were busy watching all the cities and plains and mountain unravel below like a massive quilt, sewn together by the rivers of America. They also made faces at passing public airliners, only to discover later, in much disappointment, that Edd had made their craft invisible during such times to avoid suspicion. He was labeled a 'killjoy,' but that was nothing new.

But now, as they were passing over the boring blue waves of the Atlantic, they were forced to find other ways to entertain themselves while Edd piloted through the fog. And when you don't know the proper rules to any card games, a player's 52-deck gets pretty old, pretty quick.

"Alright…" Exasperated, Eddy threw down two cards. "Pair of fives."

"You sunk my battleship!"

Eddy paused, slowly dragging his inward gaze up. "…_battleship?_ We're playing Go Fish, you ding bat."

Ed's eyebrow irked. "Go Fish? I thought we were playing Big Two!"

"I'll give ya Big Two Lumps on your _head_, you big…!"

"Hey, _hey!_" Edd warned over his shoulder. "No bouts of violence on my aircraft!"

"But Double _Deeeeee…!_"

"Don't make me come back there!"

"Aw, come _on_, Double D, are we there yet?"

Edd sighed, sharing the headache of many a road-trip-bearing parent as he turned forward again. "Look, we've got roughly about twenty miles to go, alright? So if you could just sit _still_ for another half hour…"

"Are you sure?"

Edd twitched. "_Yes_, I'm sure, Eddy! I didn't import the coordinates from the disk into the guidance system for nothing!"

"Okay, alright! Geez!"

Edd swallowed when he realized this was only becoming another fight. They didn't have to see the guilt reflected in his face, ever fixed up front. "…look, I'm sorry. This… _infernal_ weather is frustrating me beyond belief right now, and if you and Ed could just behave for a little while longer, the trip will be easier on all of us."

Well. Eddy couldn't argue with that logic. Quietly, he sat down in his seat, elbowing a stiff Ed. "Hey, wanna bet a quarter on who can stay quiet the longest?"

Ed did not reply. His gaze was focused towards the rear of the craft, wide and glossed over.

"…Ed?"

"…_wow_…"

"What?" Eddy shifted to look, his jaw slacking in a small gape.

The fog began to part in their wake, and behind them was displayed the most fantastic sunset they had ever seen. The sensational palettes of red, orange, and yellow blazed forth from the sinking sun, pink clumps of cottony clouds lacing the lilac sky like icing on a wedding cake. The waves below sparkled with vermillion brilliance like ruby jewels, turning dark and mysterious as night approached. The bright canvas gleamed across their faces, frozen in breathless awe.

"…whoa…" Eddy finally croaked, hints of a small smile tugging at his lips.

Ed sighed raptly, completely at peace.

"…never thought I'd say it, but… that is one awesome sunset."

"Eddy marveling mother nature?" Edd piped up, throwing back a quick smirk. "That's news to me."

"Double D, are you _seeing _this??"

"Of course I am," he replied, fondling his mirrors as he smiled to himself. "…breathtaking, isn't it?"

"…it's beautiful…" Ed breathed.

"How come _we _don't get awesome sunsets like that?" Eddy finally got a hold of himself and returned to his normal volume.

"Because last time I checked, we don't live in an ocean," Edd replied nonchalantly.

"Ooh…" Ed began to contemplate what life would be like living in the ocean. His thought scattered in multiple directions as he began to hum _Yellow Submarine_.

"You know…" Edd grew wistful, his gaze trailing off ahead. "…I always knew we'd never be in Peach Creek forever. I nearly dreaded the day we'd leave home, probably to go our separate ways, and that would be that." He smiled again. "But I never imagined it would play out quite like this."

"Tell me about it," Eddy actually agreed.

"I mean… we have _superpowers!_" His grin grew and opened in an amused laugh. "I haven't even had a chance to fully _grasp_ the countless opportunities laid out in front of us! Imagine the places we'll go, the people we'll meet, all the _good_ we'll be able to…!" He turned into his friend's most coy smirk. "…what?"

"This coming from the guy who said superpowers are overrated."

"Actually, that was _your_ line."

"Well, whatever! You felt the same way!"

"That was before, Eddy…" Edd could hardly remember back when he was that ignorant. "…I've _changed_." Before Eddy could ask how, he turned back to elaborate. "I saved someone's life. I've never done that before. My own life was at risk, and it still is even now, but…" He glanced forward, a million miles away. "…somehow I'm more worried for hers than mine."

"Because you totally wanna get with her."

Edd glared at Eddy for ruining his moment. "_Whatever_ my motives… I just hope I'll be able to pull it off again."

"Of _course_ you will!" Eddy slapped him hard on the back. "We save the day, kick the bad guy's butt, and you get the girl! Easy peasy lemon squeezy!"

"Right, you're right…" Edd nodded. "…and I was wrong before. It _will_ be worth the risk."

"Darn right it will!"

"Just to see her again…" Edd trailed off, then nodded again with more motivation. "It'll _all_ be worth it. Whatever Vull throws at us, it'll be worth it!"

"_Yeah!_"

"Come and get us, Vull!" Ed cheered, breaking from his earlier trance in all the excitement.

"_My, my, such enthusiasm! I admire your diligence._"

The Eds performed a synchronized double-take.

"The plane's possessed!" Ed concluded in panic.

"No, Ed, that's the speaker system," Edd assured, though he faced the said speaker with a firm displeasure. "…since I knew Vull would most likely contact us before we reached the island."

"_And right you were! Well done! Saved me quite a bit of trouble… and it might just save you, too._"

Each of the Eds' internal alarms rang off the scale, as if they were strung to the same wire.

"Okay, what's going on?" Eddy demanded.

"_Well, first, allow me to congratulate you on passing the first test, which was finding your means of transportation._" The man laughed to himself. "_Super Child, researcher, pilot, engineer… what _can't_ you do, Eddward?_"

"I find it difficult to trust certain people," Edd replied heavily.

Vull chuckled again as if he hadn't heard the response at all. "_Of course… well, I'm here to inform you that your next test is up and coming fast._" Suddenly, his voice, which didn't change at all, underscored with unmistakable menace. "_Actually, we launched it a few moments ago, so it should be within your sight by now._"

In a slow, simultaneous movement, the Eds dragged their gazes up front and center. Clear in the distance, a small dark dot grew bigger as it produced clouds of fuel and thundering echoes.

"…is that…" Ed spoke quietly. "…a guided missile?"

"_Why, yes it is. Good eye, lad._"

The Eds took a brief moment to let sink in just how much danger they were in, then switched into full-on panic mode.

"HOLY SHMOLY!"

"_GOOD LORD!_"

"What are you, freaking _nuts??_" Eddy screamed into the speaker. "That'll _**kill**_ us!"

"_Well, of course it will if you don't act fast enough. A superhero will be thrown into many life-threatening situations such as these. It'll be good to practice that now._"

"A _simulation_ may have been a bit more appropriate!" Edd hollered.

"_Don't worry, I have the upmost confidence in your abilities. As a prize for completing this test, if you end up reaching the island after all, you'll be granted a free rest period until dawn._"

"We can't even _see_ the island from here!"

"_Ah, yes, people often miss it the first time. Look carefully for it. But do be quick. According to your current coordinates, you have t-minus forty-five seconds to impact._"

Second by second the dot grew larger and its whine grew louder. It swerved only slightly in its path, side to side, but deadly impact was evident in the close future.

"_Good luck, my dear Super Children. I do hope you make it out of this alive._"

"_WELL, THANKS A FREAKING LOT_," Eddy shrieked, but Vull had already broken their connection.

"_Do something, Double D!_" Ed wailed.

Edd was back up front, clutching the controls with white knuckles as he stared down the missile, almost trying to intimidate it. But no matter how hard the glare, no missile would be fooled by the buckets of sweat cascading down his temples.

"Hold on!"

"_Hold on!?_" Eddy blared hysterically. "No, _not_ 'hold on!' We need a plan and we need it _**now!**_"

Ed was screaming something along the lines of impending doom, but his voice was lost in the dull hum of what they assumed to be approaching destruction.

"NO! I MEAN HOLD ON!"

"WHAT??"

Roaring, Edd titled hard to the side, to the point where he almost fell out of his chair. His comrades weren't as lucky; they tumbled up, down, and around as the plane spun in a rapid roll, and miraculously, the missile sailed right above them.

By the time the maneuver was finished, Eddy was on the floor and Ed was upside-down in his seat, and both were staring wildly at their pilot.

"What? I _said_ hold on."

"Ahahaha!" Double D, you _lunatic!_" Eddy whooped in victory. "I didn't know you could fly a plane like _that!_"

"To be honest with you, neither did I."

"Um, guys?" Ed wore a distraught face as he pointed behind them. The missile banked around in a screeching arc and locked on again, continuing its pursuit.

Edd gawked. "Oh, that's not even fair!"

"Whadda we do, _whadda we do??_" Eddy bawled, well past conniptions.

"_You_ think of something! I came up with the last idea!"

"…uh…uh…!"

The missile loomed massively behind them, fast approaching. Outrunning it was out of the question.

"…ah! Make us invisible, Double D!"

"It's a _heat-seeking_ missile, Eddy! It's gonna hit us whether it can see us or not!"

Ed was gripped by overwhelming fear, and could only stare as death plunged closer and closer.

"Then… I know! A force field!"

Edd turned to Eddy sharply. "What!?"

"Put one _around _the plane!" he gestured widely.

"Are you crazy?? I can't make one that big!"

"_Just try it, Double D, or we're __**dead!**_"

Oddly enough, Ed was more sad. He was looking forward to his days as a superhero.

"B-but Eddy!"

"_DO IT, NOW!_"

_It _can't _end like this,_ he thought. _We have to rescue Nazz and get back home not dead, or…_

_…or Sarah will tell Mom._

The plane shook around them as the missile was right on their tail. Edd's nerves were wrecked, his trembling hands only able to produce brief flashes of tiny force field before him.

"_Come on, Double D!_"

_Oh dear god of gravy, not Mom. Anything but Mom._ Ed felt suddenly empowered.

"_**I CAN'T EDDY!**_"

"_**DOUBLE D!**_"

Edd had a single second to stew in the pot of failure before he was grabbed, the glass window shattering above them. There lastly came a deafening explosion and blasts of fire, and he knew no more.

--

A/N: I KNOW I AM SO EVIL TO STOP HERE, LEAVE ME ALONE. XD You know what, cliffhangers are essential, okay? They're what keep you guys coming back to see what happens next. So I'm done hearing complaints about 'em. XD Please review!


	12. To Be a Hero

A/N: Okay, yes! Fine! The end of the last chapter WAS inspired from the Incredibles! You know what, we all get ideas from SOMEWHERE, but I tried to write it as creatively as possible, so get off my back.

And to be honest with you, I wrote it more in the style of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, when they're about to be hit with the missiles that end up turning into a sperm whale and bowl of petunias. XD Ah, man… great stuff.

Anyways… Man, I'm suddenly on a roll with this fic! Guess it's 'cause I'm looking forward to writing later installments. XD Oh well. Sorry it took a while, this is a long chappie. Let's get it going, shall we?

--

Chapter 12: To Be a Hero

--

--

--

When Edd came to, he was almost certain he was dead. _Odd,_ he thought, _I would imagine being incinerated would've been much more painful than that._

Then again, he also imagined the breezes of Heaven would be less… battering against his face.

His upper lip twitching, Edd creaked his eyes open, and was surprised to find the dark blue ocean waves approaching fast. As his clothes whipped about erratically in the tearing wind, it began to dawn on him that his fate wasn't as final as he first thought.

He looked up. A ball of fire that was once their plane and a missile, separately, pierced through the twilight of the evening sky. He was fleetingly disappointed as one of his best pieces of work disintegrated into charred debris, but at least he wasn't any part of it.

_I do hope my friends made it out too._

"…Dee… ouble D… _Double D!_"

"Wake up, you idiot!"

He glanced to the side, where Ed and Eddy were in freefall beside him as they plummeted out of the sky. Edd felt himself smile in response to their panicked faces.

"…ah, good. You _did_ make it."

"Hello!" Eddy reached over and grabbed him by the shirt. "Earth to Double D! We're not dead yet!"

"I figured."

"Snap out of it! You're delusional!"

"Hey, now," Edd frowned, offended. "That was uncalled for."

Eddy rolled his eyes. Knowing the Double D was disorientated from his brush with death, drastic measures were needed to snap him back into reality.

So he grabbed Ed and shoved his loopy pal's head into his armpit.

"_BLECK!_" Edd reeled back as if he had been smacked upside the face. He blinked a few times, shook himself, and looked at Eddy sheepishly. "…thank you. I… needed that."

"Great. Now that you're with us, _what do we do now??_"

Oh, right. The plunging to their doom bit.

"…_Wah!_" Finally, Edd began to properly panic as the ocean grew closer and closer. "If we hit the water at this velocity, the impact will kill us!" he hollered in one breath.

Edd and Eddy appropriately began screaming, their watery grave awaiting them down below. And yet inches before they hit it, everything froze. Quite literally, in fact.

Holding all three of them in ZPE, Ed sighed in relief, them lowered them gently into the churning ocean waves. Resurfacing, gasping for air, and chilled to the bone by the evening waters, the trio huddled together in a tiny circle among the vast, endless waves.

"S-so… c-c-cold…" Ed whimpered.

"Great…" Eddy gasped between shivering puffs of air. "We survived _that_. _Now_ what?"

"I…d-d-don't know…" Edd chattered, shaking to the core. "L-lemme think…"

"'_Lemme think!?_' That's _all _you can say??" Eddy roared, the water around him boiling and steaming. "We just got blown out of the air, we're out in the middle of the freakin' ocean, and we don't even know where the heck we're _going_ anymore!"

"I _know_ that, Eddy!" Edd retaliated, equally incensed.

"If _you_ hadn't dropped the ball, we'd still be okay!"

Edd visibly flinched. "_I KNOW THAT!_"

"SO WHAT DO WE DO NOW!?"

"_**I DON'T KNOW!**_"

"S-stop it, _stop it!_" The two were hit with small splashes, stinging them icy enough to quiet them both down. They turned to an upset Ed. "Do I have to _separate_ you two?"

Neither answered. They avoided each other's eyes.

Determined to solve the problem at hand, Ed got their attention by pointing up and commanding, "Look."

They followed his gaze up to the fires still blazing above, lighting the clouds about them and confusing many a passing bird. His finger traced a pattern from the explosion along a trail of clouds still left from the missile's path.

"See? The missile had a tail."

"So?" Eddy bit.

"Oh… good eye, Ed." Edd grew encouraged, if only slightly. "Since it must've been launched from the academy, we can trace its path back to the island."

"Yeah, great. Let's pay a visit to the guys who shot us down. That's a _fantastic_ idea."

"With your tact, Eddy, we'd all get along swimmingly," Edd replied, always the sultan of sarcasm, as he followed Ed's motions and traced the line. He then paused, his brow furrowing. "…odd."

"What?"

"It doesn't reach the horizon line." He pointed this out, his finger's path ending abruptly. "It vanishes into that mass of clouds."

"What's that mean?"

"It means the island we're looking for isn't in the ocean…" His gaze rested on them levelly. "…it's in the sky."

Eddy blinked, glancing back up. "…No kidding."

Ed beamed in understanding. "No wonder we missed it the first time!"

"Okay… we know where we're going…" Eddy tried to get things back in control. "Only question now is how we get up there."

Edd began to think, but was rudely interrupted.

"…'cause, y'know, the plane's not really an option any…"

"Okay, Eddy, I get it! I'm aware of the fact that it was my fault, but the least you could do is quit rubbing it in!"

"I was just saying that…!"

"…I could take us up."

The beginnings of another argument were stopped dead in their tracks, and they turned back to a meek Ed.

"…wait, what?"

Ed shrugged. "Well… you guys could get on my back, and I could fly us up to the island."

Edd and Eddy looked at each other, flabbergasted, then back at Ed.

"That actually ain't a bad idea," Eddy had to admit.

"Are you sure you can carry us for that long, Ed?" Edd asked. He still wasn't certain of their boundaries yet.

"…maybe… I could try…" Ed was hesitant at first, but a flash of inspiration from an unknown source gave him a bout of confidence. "…I'll do my best."

Edd smiled, comforted. That was all anyone could ask from him, and he knew it. He couldn't deny the sense of pride for his brave buddy.

"Very well, then." Edd shakily swam over, creeping onto his back and clutching his jacket with numb fingers. Eddy settled on behind him. "Ready when you are, Ed."

"Liftoff!" The familiar blue glow erupted underwater, and the three rose slowly above the surface, dripping as Ed lifted them into the air.

"Go, Lumpy, go!"

"Up, up, and _away!_"

And they were off like a shot to the Hall of Supers Academy Island.

--

"I see… how very interesting. So they jumped the plane before impact?"

"_Just before, sir. They lingered in the water for a bit, but took off into the air before we could intercept them. The scouts say it looked like one of them was flying and carrying the other two._"

"Aha…"

"_Sir… I thought we got the Super Child with flight powers already._"

"True, we did. But obviously one of them is able to manipulate his powers thusly. These boys are very resourceful, I've learned."

"_…too 'resourceful' for their own damn good, if you ask me…_"

"What was that, Commander?"

"_N-nothing, sir. What are your orders?_"

"Retract all naval units. We'll need maximum security throughout the academy. The sentries cover the island itself well enough."

"_Yes, sir. Dreadnaught, over and out._"

Relishing the outcome so far, Vull hung up the phone with a hum of content. The robotic table it sat on scuttled away soon after.

"Now, where were we?"

Across the table, a fair distance away from him, sat a highly disgruntled Nazz, her ankle chained to their table's leg. She wasn't taking her meals, so Vull figured a friendly change of scenery in the dining hall would be appropriate. The attempt so far had been in vain, as she hadn't touched her food. She was too busy smothering her rage, her icy glare fixed on him like a gargoyle's.

"Ah, yes, I remember," Vull continued, nonchalantly leaning over his own cleared plate. "The delightful exchange of a wonderfully awkward silence."

Tight-lipped, Nazz's scowl worsened.

"Well, I'm pleased to say that little interruption came with good news." Vull leaned back comfortably, taking his wine glass into hand. "Your rescuers are alive and on their way to the island. They've performed well so far, considering I nearly blew them to smithereens."

Vull laughed at his own joke, but Nazz didn't look in the least bit amused.

"But in all seriousness, they continue to impress me. Even when something goes awry, they seem to bounce right back in track. Their persistence is admirable…" He crossed his legs, a small sign of tension, as he glanced her way. "…as yours could be… if you weren't acting so foolishly."

Nazz's eye twitched. This guy had a lot of nerve to sit there and be such a smart-alec, throwing insult after insult at her.

Vull put little effort into his next face of concern. "Please eat. You're not doing any good starving yourself."

Nazz did not budge.

"…It's not poisoned, if that's what you're worried about," he casually added, drawing his glass in for a drink.

She only braved a glance at her plate. The food was well-presented, and _did_ look good enough to eat, but she wasn't willing to take any chances.

Vull sighed in discontent, placing his drink down. "…Alright, lass, allow me to level with you. You and I both know they are bound to arrive shortly. Can you imagine how they'd feel… if they were to find you ill, or worse, from starvation? No one wants that."

If it was a threat, Nazz wasn't buying it. Still, he did have a point. If she wanted to be rescued, she had to do her part and cooperate, no matter how much she hated this man's guts. Besides, it'd be worth it to see him get beat within an inch of his life by the three superpowered children. Especially Double D; somehow, imagining him delivering a solid hit to Vull's face made her smile to herself, every time.

Vull was slightly confused by the grin Nazz had suddenly put on, but when she slowly began to eat, he dismissed it and clapped lightly in approval.

"Good girl! I'm glad you see it my way."

Nazz had a thousand and one retorts to that, but kept them all to herself and focused on her meal. She was taught to avoid conversing with the likes of Vull for as long as possible.

This did not go unnoticed. Idly, Vull lurched out of his chair, casually strolling down the long table to the other side of the room.

"You haven't said much since you arrived," he noted. "…though I know you're dying to ask it. 'Why, Vull? Why kidnap the likes of little old me? Why go to such measures to bring them here?'"

They weren't quite worded exactly, but Nazz _had_ been wondering those things.

"Motives are a strange beast," Vull continued, walking behind her. "A noble cause to one man could be viewed as scandalous to another. But explain it the right way, and you don't sound so much like a villain." She jumped as he appeared next to her, leaned over the table's edge. "It's all in the storytelling."

Nazz gave him a tense look, wondering where he was going with this.

"I can sense your distrust in me." He stood and continued his stroll. "So no matter what story I give you, you're unlikely to believe me."

Nazz raised a brow, then finally, "Why don't you tell me anyway, and we'll find out?"

Vull gaped slightly, then laughed. "She speaks at last! Now I can look forward to more than one-sided conversations."

"So what's your story, then?" she feigned interest, and looked convincing doing it.

"Ah… I was born into… an extended family," Vull began. "The majority of it was dominated by Super Children. Note that these powers are not heredity, so it was completely by chance." He grew forlorn. "I must admit, it did feel awkward, being the one of the few left out of the ring, but my talents were recognized nonetheless."

Already he seemed to be stretching the truth, as that was a bit too ideal for Nazz to believe, but she didn't interrupt.

"Then… something happened." His voice grew deep and serious. "A religious cult who called themselves to Tribunal swept across Europe in what became known as the European Super Children Massacre of 1985, fifteen years ago… the majority of the family… was among the death toll."

Nazz was genuinely taken aback. It was a hard story to believe, but… the way he was speaking now… he wasn't fooling around. You don't kid about mass murder, after all, and if Vull was above anything, that was it.

"…I…I'm sorry…"

Vull paused, giving her an honestly puzzled glance. "Hmm? What for?"

"Well, I mean, your family, killed… that… must've been rough…"

"Mmm… our ties had weakened over time, but… it did leave a fair impact on me." He lightened up gradually. "That's when I began to realize how… valuable Super Children are to this world… and how important it is to cultivate their powers…" Weaving his fingers together, Vull wound up for the conclusion. "…and sometimes tough discipline is the only way. Those boys will be grateful."

Nazz could believe the story, but her questions were still not answered. He had artfully danced around them during his tale. Her trust in him hadn't changed one bit.

"Well, then…" Vull pushed himself away from the table, taking his cloak from the chair. "I certainly hope this meal was illuminating, if nothing else."

Nazz met his good-natured grin with a single nod. It sure was, alright. She just hoped the Eds would start to see it too.

--

Little did she know that they had seen the signs a while ago. The missile was a big hint. But their suspicions of Vull were put on hold for now, as reaching the island was more of a priority.

Approaching the mass of clouds, they quickly began to part into the night sky, revealing a floating hunk of rock topped with tree and other such foliage, coning at the bottom. In the rest of the flight up, they hugged close to the sheer layers of rocky walls, not daring to look down anymore.

What was worrisome was that Ed had begun straining a while ago, the weight of him and his friends stretching his inexperienced powers to their limit. Despite the nippy air, he was sweating and grunting, and dropping in speed.

"Come on, Ed! Don't give up!"

"We're almost there, burhead, keep going!"

Their encouraging words propelled him onward, until finally, grass glided down past their vision. They had reached the edge of the island.

Heavy with relief, Ed happily collapsed onto the sweet, sweet ground, his friends tumbling off his back. His whole body ached as he struggled to catch his breath, but he was content in knowing that he had done his job.

"Y…you did it, Ed…" Double D's breathless chuckling was only reassuring of this.

"Nice work, Lumpy." He moaned and groggily looked up after Eddy ruffled his outrageous orange locks. "Thought you wouldn't make it for a sec, there."

Ed frowned tiredly. "Couldn't… less us fall… could I?" he murmured between pants.

"Guess not."

"Well done, Ed." Another hand gently patted his shoulder, and Edd's smile appeared before him. "Go ahead and rest. You deserve it."

Ed didn't have to be told twice. He was out like a light, softly snoring.

"…Rest?" Eddy glanced at Edd inwardly as he stood above Ed thoughtfully. "You sure now's the best time for that?"

"Now's the _only_ time, Eddy," Edd replied, trying to figure out the best way to lift their heavily sleeping companion. "Remember? Vull guaranteed us a rest period if we reached the island."

Eddy raised a brow. "And you trust him."

"Look, I don't know about you, Eddy, but I'm exhausted. And Ed's obviously in no condition to continue either."

"…Fine," Eddy sighed, getting to his feet. He turned away from the island's edge to face instead the edge of a grand forest, lined with thick pines and oaks, with no clue as to why they were planted interchangeably, nor a reason to care.

"…Right, then. I'll scout ahead for a good place to camp out."

"Don't go too far," Edd warned, still leaned over Ed. "We'll be right behind you."

"I doubt that," Eddy snidely remarked for good humor, then dashed into the woods.

Edd's head was too full of thoughts to regard that comment. Holding out a hand above Ed's resting form, he created a force field to encase him and lift him off the ground, making it considerably easier for him to carry Ed at his side. Adorably, he turned about in his round cradle until he got into a comfortable position on his back, relaxing again with a quiet sigh.

Edd couldn't help but smile at his innocent visage, but it was laced with a tinge of envy. For Ed had not only risked his health to lift them to safety without hesitation, he had most likely been the one to grab and help them all escaping from the exploding plane in the first place. There was no doubt in his mind; Ed was a natural-born hero.

_…Something I am clearly not._ It was a discouraging thought to leave himself with as he carried Ed into the forest.

--

The forest quickly became dense as they pushed in away from the edge, climbing over thick tree roots that covered dirt paths of old. The canopy above their heads knit together like a blanket, coating them in a canvas of dark greens and blues, while the fresh scent of evergreen floated into their nostrils on the smallest breeze. The air was cool, gentle, and made them drowsy as the late hour of night was catching up to them.

Their selected campsite was a small clearing, set within a circular ring of trees. The ground was covered in tiny clovers, which made it soft to lay on, like makeshift beds. Ed had quickly made himself comfortable in the natural patchwork, dreaming contently with soft kicks in the air from his feet.

In the center of the clearing, a patch of charred dirt disturbed the pattern, an obvious sit for a campfire. This place must've been used by other Super Children before them, performing the same tests they were. Eddy wondered aloud why none of them had already beaten Vull senseless for such absurdity as he gathered his timber, placed it accordingly, and quickly got a fire going, with much pride, of course. Matches and sticks were a thing of the past now, as far as he was concerned.

Edd gratefully huddled close to the fire, though his thoughts led him millions of miles away. His aimless stare would focus on the fire, then on Ed, then on their surroundings, and even up, where the star in the midnight sky poked through tears in the canopy above. As far as natural environments for meditation went, this was the best place he could've asked for to gather up all his thoughts, which he had plenty of time to do as they settled in.

So why was his heart still heavy?

Unbeknownst to Edd, Eddy had been watching his doleful face for some time as he kept the fire going. It was pretty obvious what he was upset about, and Eddy couldn't really blame him, but that wasn't any excuse to mope and feel sorry for oneself.

Edd hadn't noticed his friend plop down beside him, and jumped when he clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey…" he spoke unusually soft. "Get some sleep, Double D. I'll take first watch, in case, y'know, we get attacked or something."

"No…it's fine. You go ahead."

Eddy raised a brow as Edd finished with a large, gaping yawn.

"…Okay, what's wrong now?"

"Nothing," Edd drew back defensively.

"Come on, Double D, talk to me."

"It's nothing, really."

"You know, you're the worst liar ever, you know that?"

"Look, you _know _what's wrong," Edd came back bitterly, hugging his knees close in a tense position. "And quite frankly, I don't wish to talk about it this time."

Eddy pouted, getting to his feet. "Aw, come on, Double D…"

"No."

"You won't feel better 'til you get it off your chest."

Edd curled inward tighter. "I _said_ no."

"Come _on_, tell me!" Eddy grinned, shaking his stiff form back and forth by the shoulders. When not even his glare wavered, Eddy retained his pout. It was clear that Edd was in no mood for the usual witty banter.

But that was fine. Because the backup plan of pushing his buttons until he cracked usually worked just as good.

"_Tellmetellmetellmetellmetellmetellme…!_" Eddy proceeded to dash around the campfire, circling behind Edd repeatedly in the most annoying form of pressure he had ever dealt.

"_...Tellmetellmetellmetellme…!_"

Edd tried his best to ignore him, but an eye twitch came too soon, and his glare worsened.

"_...Tellmetellmetellmetellme…!_"

His fists clenched tight, his blood boiling. If his _stupid _friend wouldn't _shut up_ in _two seconds…!_

"_…Tellmetellmetellmet__**OONFH!**_"

Eddy was knocked to the other side of the clearing after colliding with a sudden force field, tumbling across the clovers until he hit a tree back-first. Slid upside-down against the trunk's base, he groaned and rubbed his sore head.

"…_**OW,**_" he stressed. "That _**really**_ hurt."

But one look up at Double D's furious scowl made his pain much less significant. The fire casting shadows across his enraged features didn't make him look any less approachable either.

"You _really_ want to know, Eddy!?" Edd nearly exploded, his voice high and sharp and loud in unspeakable fury. "_**Fine!**_ I'll _tell_ you what's wrong! I _screwed up_! _**Again!**_ I panicked, I froze up, and if weren't for Ed, we'd all be _dead_, because it has become _painfully_ clear to me that I am _incapable_ of even protecting _myself_, let _alone_ those close to me, because the pressure is obviously _too much _for me to handle, only _further_ proving to me…!" His anger began to falter into despair, his glare being overcome with tears. "…how truly _weak _and _incompetent _I… I… _I_…!"

Eddy held his breath. _…oh, no. Please don't start…_

He cringed at Edd's initial, sharp wail before he fell to his knees, the floodgates opening with wet sobs and hiccups.

_…crying. Great._

Eddy idly glanced past his bawling companion at Ed, who was miraculously sleeping through the entire racket, curled up like a cat. Man, was he a heavy sleeper.

Finally, Eddy let out a puff of exasperated air before getting up again. He ventured an awkward patting on the shoulder as Edd gushed out all the guilt and regret and other negative energies in rivers of tears that dripped between his fingers as he held his face in his hands. Eddy made a face of revulsion at the goopy, unattractive mess, but didn't interrupt. If this was what would help Double D get over himself, so be it.

After a few minutes, Edd's cries began to subside into soft, dry sobs. Eddy looked his hunched form over with a raised brow.

"Are you done yet?"

Edd woefully muttered something incoherent behind his hands.

"What?"

"…I can't do this, Eddy…" he repeated, whimpering.

"Oh, come on, that's crazy talk."

"But what if it's not??" Edd suddenly snapped, taking Eddy by surprise. He looked up helplessly, his face absolutely drenched. "What if it happens again, and we aren't as lucky? What if I can't pass these tests or face Vull or rescue Nazz or…!" He faltered again, turning down in heavy discouragement.

"What if I'm… not meant to be a hero…?"

The question left Eddy… angry, for some reason. Perhaps it was because he was getting _really_ sick of the self-pity.

"Alright, now you listen to me." Edd looked up, astonished by the firm, level tone he took on. "I don't care what anyone else says. You're the smartest freaking kid I know, and you ace _everything_ you pick up. Being a superhero sure as heck ain't easy, but it ain't _any _different from being a nurse's aid or newspaper editor or whatever."

Edd could've easily corrected him, but found himself unable to. He was much too busy absorbing the compliment, which was so unexpected from his prideful friend.

"And I _told_ you, you're not gonna be the perfect hero the first time, or the next, or even after that! It takes a little thing called _practice._"

"I-I know…" Edd's voice shook as he rubbed his temple. "I just… I'm worried that next time I…!"

"_Stop worrying!_" Eddy was growing frustrated. It seemed ironic, the roles of pupil and flustered teacher flipped around. "The more you worry, the more likely it'll happen _again!_ We've been _through_ this!"

"Well, the I guess I just wasn't listening, because I let it happen again!" Edd yelled back, eyes welling up. "I just can't…!"

He paused as Eddy poked his forehead.

"…switch off that noodle of yours…right?" he finished.

Edd slumped. "…You have… _no_ idea."

"Look, it's not brain surgery," Eddy continued, calmed down. "When you don't need it, block out that nagging voice in your head."

At last, a smirk. "Is that how you deal with me most of the time?"

Eddy grinned typically. "You know it."

No matter how hard he tried, Edd couldn't hold back a chuckle as he wiped his face dry with his shirt. "That explains a lot."

"Look, I'm serious, here. Do what you gotta do to get things done." He paused in a rare moment of sincerity. "…and for the record, I _never _thought you'd make a bad hero. Heck, you saved Nazz once, what makes you think you can't do it again?"

Edd took a long moment to think it through. When he didn't answer right away, Eddy devised another plan.

"Okay…" Grunting, he got to his feet, receiving a questioning glance from Edd. "I know what you need."

"Huh?"

"You obviously need something to distract you from all this stress." He motioned with his hand. "So why don't you get up and show me that new move you were talking about?"

"What?? _Now?_" Edd gawked. "Eddy…!"

"Yes, now. Get up."

"I'm tired, Eddy, can't we just…"

"Nope. Lemme see it."

"B-but…!" Edd searched for an excuse, spotting their slumbering friend. "What about Ed?"

"He ain't going nowhere. And you can show him later. I wanna see it now."

Edd grumbled and groaned, dragging himself to his feet. "_Fine_… I suppose you won't let me be until I _perform_ for you…"

"Better be impressive, Sockhead," Eddy joked.

"It's nothing spectacular, but it could be useful," Edd explained, creating his force field. With practiced ease from before, he pushed it down, hopped on top, and balanced himself out. "Well?"

Eddy made a face. "…that's it?"

"Of course not." Edd leaned side to side, the ball under his feet moving with him in the smoothness of a Segway. He swayed a bit uncertainly in the shift of balance, but mostly maintained his cool as he circled an amused Eddy.

"Haha, cool. Got a little transport, do ya?"

"You could call it that. I was also able to ride it across the surface of the swimming hole, and I'm sure it won't be affected by other surfaces."

"So you could probably cross, like, molten lava or spike with no problem?"

Edd nodded. "In theory, at least."

Eddy gave this thought, ending it with a gradual grin. "Not bad."

"Always appreciate your approval, Eddy." His wit wavered when Eddy begin to circle him slowly, still in thought. "Hmm? What is it?"

"…I wonder," Eddy mused, knocking on the orb's side with his knuckle. "…how it would feel to get _run over_ by this thing…?"

"…I'd imagine it would be painful." Edd wasn't liking the glint in his buddy's eyes.

Then, Eddy casually leaned forward on the field, looked up, and gave him the exact grin he was _not_ hoping for.

"…_oh_, no." Edd shook his head pleadingly. "_No,_ Eddy."

But Eddy wasn't looking for his consent. His feet revved up beneath him.

"No no no no _NOOOOOOOoooooo…!_"

And off into the woods they were, like a shot, Eddy providing the sped and Edd providing the scream.

Terrified out of his mind, Edd was struggling to remain on his perch, his feet running and swinging erratically as Eddy rolled him along in his sprint like a katamari ball. They swerved around trees that passed at an alarming rate, and branches, torn-up roots and bramble, and other such debris were launched every which way in their wake, some of it painfully bombarding Edd.

Eddy, however, didn't seem to be bothered, whooping and hollering without a care. "_Yaaaaahooo!_ Your field's mowing everything down, Double D!"

"_**EDDYYYY!**_" Edd protested as his shielded his face with his arms, the branches raking his exposed skin. "_STOOOO-OO__**WHOAP**__!_"

They suddenly hit a speed bump, so to speak, with Edd's gut absorbing most of the shock, much to his discomfort. But his sick feeling was replaced by another; for one brief, terrifying second, his feet had no contact with his force field. He had lost his footing, and was just about ready to kick and scream in midair panic (for surprisingly not the first time today) before inevitably hitting the ground most painfully.

Then, the toe of his left foot planted itself on the orb, and apparently that was all the footing he needed. Like a top in full torque, his lanky body straightened right up, only leaning back slightly in Eddy's continuous speed. Other than that, however, Edd was astounded by his own perfect balance.

_Of course… A single focal point… cycles the energy better!_

"Alright, Double D!" Eddy was not oblivious to his buddy's discovery.

_Well, then… if we're going to pull this off, I'd best get used to the speed…!_

"That's more like it, _yeah!_" Eddy approved of Edd's change in attitude as he crouched aerodynamically, tucking his free leg behind his other knee, and bravely faced the endless forests. He still flinched at trees they dodged by mere inches, but he trusted that Eddy had control, and kept his concentration consistent.

He only protested again when they came across one of those boggy swamps, the impact bathing them both in muddy sludge.

"Oh, _ack!_ Pwthph!" Edd coughed, wiping the slime from his eyes as they coasted over the swamp's surface with ease. "_Really_, was that necessary!?"

"Hahaha! Your field's _unstoppable!_" Eddy cheered in triumph, and Edd would've been confident in sharing that.

…if he hadn't looked ahead past the bog's edge.

"…hit the brakes, Eddy, _**hit the brakes!!**_"

"_What??_"

_**PFWOOM.**_

The resulting tremor shook the foundations of the floating island ever so slightly. Even Nazz, who was locked in her room and about to fall asleep, was rocked slightly in her bed, and she sat up, looked out her small window in confusion, and wondered what that was… as well as hoping it was _them_.

Back down below, under the lumpy forest canopy, a groan rasped within a dull cloud of dust, followed by a few hacking coughs. Eddy then sat up, rubbing his head groggily.

"Whoaho… what a _wipeout_…!" he chuckled dumbly, squinting around. "What'd we hit?"

As if answering, the massive cloud dispersed, and there before him stood a sheer cliff wall, bordering the island's deeper interior. Nobody said its geography would be on their side.

But Eddy was much too bust gawking at the deep, perfect, half-circle impression their impact left in the rock. It was easily three times their height, and even further in depth. And it was still smoking.

Eddy whistled, impressed.

"Wow… good call, Double D, your fields really _do_ pack a punch."

Eddy grew puzzled when he was met with silence, looking around.

"…Double D?"

Finally, he spotted a flattened, dark shape in the clearing dust. Edd had collapsed limply in the dirt not too far away, lying on his side, his back to him.

"…Aw, man…" Eddy groaned, shuffling to his feet and over to his friend's side.

"…Hey," he murmured, lightly shaking Edd by the shoulder. "You okay, Double D?"

No response. Eddy flipped him onto his back to reveal that he was unconscious. Biting his lip, he lifting Edd's arm a few times, only for it to drop back down…

…lifeless.

"…Aw, _man!_"

There was only a few seconds of panic before he realized that Edd was still breathing and otherwise perfectly fine… just old cold. Then he thought of how Edd described how his powers worked, all mentally, and when he reached the conclusion, he laughed at himself.

"_Ohhh_, I get it," he spoke to Edd. Got knocked out by the blow, did ya? Sorry 'bout that."

Edd replied with silence. He also didn't protest when Eddy took his limp, muddy form into his arms.

"Gotta be careful when we use that move, huh?" he said briskly, grimacing at the smoldering crater in the wall. "Well… let's head back. I'm beat."

Edd silently concurred.

And as Eddy took off, traveling the split muddy line they had created, he was glad to have been able to light a fire on his friend's butt and get his self-esteem going. Because the confidence was all he was lacking to be a hero.

_Well… that's what he's got me for!_

--

A/N: Whew… that was a lot, huh? Sorry, I just really wanted to get this thing moving without too many chapters. Start looking forward to some more action (which hopefully I'll get better at writing XD) and hero-like antics! Please review!


	13. Calm is Boring

A/N: Okay… this chapter nearly came out to a whopping 30 pages. O.o So it's a doozy. I hope you guys like it: two separate fights! Yeah! Let's do this!

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Chapter 13: Calm… is Boring

----

----

----

Ed woke to the morning comfortably, yawning and stretching over his bed of clovers. He hummed in content as he laid flat on his back, gazing up at the canopy. Where soft beams of morning sunlight peeked through and lit up their clearing like a fairy ring. Fleetingly, he turned his head to glance at his slumbering companions, and he smiled. For a rare moment in their big adventure, all was clam, and everything seemed normal again.

But normal was boring.

Ed's grin wavered at a series of soft beeps. He blinked, and looked up again. Instead of a forest canopy, he found himself staring down a large, red, glassy eye.

Slowly, very slowly, as if fearing he'd spook some kind of wildlife, Ed turned over and sat up to get a better look at the beeping creature. It was a small robot, shining silver, in the simple form of a dish head and short base. It was suspended by tall, spider-like legs that lightly whirred with every movement it made as it seemed to stare at Ed curiously. He met its gaze equally, cocking his head.

Behind him, he heard the sounds of his comrades awakening.

"…mmm… unh…"

"…aw, man, morning already? Geez…"

In front of him, the robot continued to stare him down, but then the bushes rustled, and out poked two more identical crimson eyes, trained on him.

Ed knew when his friends had noticed the company, because their groggy groans and sluggish movements in the grass halted quite abruptly.

"…Ed?" he heard Double D squeak, his voice still raspy and stale from sleep. "…what are those?"

At first, Ed didn't have an answer for that. Then, the soft beeping changed drastically into blaring sirens, the robots straightened up, and an array of weapons that couldn't have _possibly_ fit in their tiny frames popped out from every compartment imaginable, all pointing the Super Children's way.

With this presentation, Ed had his answer.

"_Trouble!_" At his cry, the closest robot charged up and shot a laser from its eye, matching size and color, that the three of them barely managed to dodge in beat. It smashed into one unfortunate tree, blasting a clean hole in its trunk.

"Whoa!" Eddy staggered back, ducking under another laser that Edd had deflected with his force field.

"_We gotta go!_" Ed brayed, cringing deeply when yet another went sailing through his abdomen.

"_**ED!!!**_"

"_Go go __**GO!**_"

"Oh, for _crying out loud!_" Eddy took the initiative this time, snatching up a buddy in each arm and dashing away. They perched on his shoulders as he plunged back into the forest.

Switching into attack mode, the robot's legs swiftly retracted, and they hovered effortlessly above the ground. They seemed to nod to each other and began pursuit of their prey.

"Ed!" Hollering above the winds billowing around them, one hand clamed firmly on his hat to keep it in place, Edd called out to his stricken friend, "Are you okay??"

Holding his coat back, Ed looked up, revealing the hole in his stomach. Visibly, it sealed itself up, and Ed grinned.

"…okay, dumb question," Edd had to admit.

"Guess our rest period's over!" Eddy briskly noted. "What the heck _are_ those things??"

"Sentries," Ed replied, seriously this time. "Automatic defense robots."

Edd nodded in agreement. "The academy probably deployed them this morning. I'm assuming they're part of the testing."

"Fan-freaking-tastic!" At menacing hums from behind, Eddy shot a glance backwards, spotting silver glimmers careening closer. "_What!?_ They're _gaining!?_ They're not supposed to be _gaining!_"

"They're robots, Eddy!" Ed bawled. "They can do _anything!_"

Edd warily looked back as the sentries swerved between the trees swiftly, approaching fast. Action was needed, and it was needed now.

"_What now!?_" Eddy bellowed.

"Keep running, Eddy!" Edd firmly ordered, turning to better face their pursuers.

"What the heck are you _doing??_"

"_Just keep running!_"

Edd waited, keeping a sharp eye on the sentries. Ed knew the plan already, as he too set himself up at ready, nodding to his partner. The robots loomed closer, and once in range, even began firing their lasers again, along with the rest of their arsenal. Eddy skipped back and forth between small-scale missiles and fountain blasts in the earth from peppering bullets.

"Hel-LO!" Eddy yelled. "They're only getting clo-_**WHOA!**_"

He ducked at a thick throb and clunk after a force field pulsed in a sentry's path, knocking it aside with enough force to explode after tumbling to the ground. Another was shot with a chord of ZPE, which hurled it into a tree in a similar fiery blast.

"Holy…! …_LOOK OUT!_"

The last sentry's eye flashed, signaling the charging of the laser again.

"Eddy!" Edd shouted. "_Jump!_"

There was no questioning; Eddy did as he was told, pushing his feet briefly off the ground. In the span of those three seconds, the laser was fired, another force field sprang to life, the laser was deflected, and the last sentry exploded, destroyed by its own weapon.

The field dispersed before he hit the ground, braking into the dirt until they came to a halt. The trio stared dumbly at the carnage behind them, stunned speechless.

And, once again, all was calm, and quiet. Slowly, Ed and Double D climbed down off their perch, but none of their gazes wavered away from the smoldering remains of their attackers. They stood side by side, evaluating their short-lived chase's outcome.

After a few minutes, they exchanged looks. The calm was then broken again by laughter and cheers of triumph.

"Holy cow!"

"_Yeah!_ In your _face_, robots!"

"Haha, _woo!_"

There came a trading of multiple high-fives and boisterous gestures at the broken robots, plus a victory dance courtesy of Ed. Even in the celebration, Edd, left extremely winded, could hardly believe he had successfully taken out two of the three sentries during the high-speed pursuit. Even though there was no denying the flash of excitement he remembered when he witnessed the crashes and explosions of his counterattacks. He decided to blame that on the testosterone.

"Nice _work_, there, Sockhead!" A praise and a smack on the back woke him out of his thoughts. "Though you know I'm gonna ask; why'd you wait?"

"Simple, Eddy," Edd replied confidently. "They had to be in proximity before I could pull it off. My fields are harder to sustain and control at a farther distance."

"…oh." Made sense. Eddy couldn't argue with that. He shrugged. "Okay, I'll buy that."

Edd beamed at the approval, then nodded to his comrades. "We should be careful as we press on. The less fights we get ourselves into, the better, in order to conserve our strength."

"Whatever you say!" Eddy exclaimed, revving up to speed into the forest. Before he could take a full stride, however, a large orb caught him in midair, and he bobbed a ways before stopping, hovering upside-down to meet Edd's disapproving scowl.

"Did you _not_ hear what I just said??" he demanded. "Running at high speed takes _energy!_" He took away the force field, letting Eddy plop to the ground. "Save it for the more difficult confrontations."

Eddy growled as he rubbed his bottom and got to his feet. The Super Child of Speed shouldn't be forced to _walk!_

"But Double D!" Ed spoke up, equally eager to get moving, apparently. "Won't taking us longer make Nazz wait longer?"

_Score! Nice one, Monobrow!_ Eddy was certain that would change their pal's mind in an instant.

Both were disappointed when Edd shook his head, beginning a slow walk further into the forest. "Better to be late than not show up at all. I'd prefer it if we reached the academy in one piece." He gave Eddy a look as he passed him by. "Nice try, Eddy. I'm sure she'll understand either way."

"Yeah… maybe…" Eddy drawled as they followed. "…or maybe she'll dump you on the spot."

----------

"_Achoo!_"

A beat after his rude remark, there came a sneeze some distance away.

Nazz sniffled and rubbed her nose in confusion, wondering what had caused the sudden irritation. Was it allergies? Maybe. The room she was kept in looked like it was last cleaned in the Stone Age.

Even so, it wasn't terribly uncomfortable. It appeared to be simply an empty dorm room. The bed was firm, and its red covers kept her warm at night, so that was something. Regular meals curbed hunger, and even a small window provided a great view of the island (though it was too thin and too high off the ground to attempt a daring escape; where would she go, anyway?). If Nazz would suffer from anything, it would be utter boredom.

But her thoughts constantly kept her busy. She knew and disliked the 'dumb blonde' stereotype tacked onto her self-conscious, but give her and chance and she'd make observations and draw questions and conclusions that would make Double D proud of her.

Things like… _why is this place so quiet?_

_Why have only soldiers come to the door?_

_Where are all the students?_

The questions went unanswered by Vull and his henchmen, making her more uneasy. Just what kind of operation was this creep running?

A heavy clank ripped her away from her thoughts, and she turned just as the steel-plated door unlocked and heaved open with a grunt. First a tray on squeaky wheels appeared, carrying a steaming, full-course breakfast, before its bearer pushed himself in, closing the door behind him with a grumble.

"Brunch is on," he announced with an impressive lack of enthusiasm. "Get it while it's hot."

Nazz took little interest in her meal, idly grabbing a roll from off the tray. She was much too busy looking over the exasperated soldier.

"…you sound familiar," she threw out, gaining an odd look. "From those chats with Vull… Commander Dreadnaught, was it?"

The commander paused, not quite sure how to respond to that. He didn't even know she _heard_ any of those briefings, much less paid attention to them.

"…hmmp," he eventually replied, leaning against the wall. "Didn't think you were so observant."

Nazz briefly smiled to herself. _I learn from the best._

"…what?"

"Alright, look," Nazz switched tones, surprising him. "You're high up in the rankings, so you gotta know something, right? Just what is going on? What the heck does a school need its own army for, anyways?"

"You tell me," Dreadnaught spoke aloud without thinking. When Nazz returned a look of confusion, he knew he had already said too much.

"You mean, you don't know either?"

_Man_, this girl was good. He had to give her that.

"…oh, what the hell…" He decided it wouldn't really matter anyway, and thus continued. "…Truth is, we're no _official_ army. Militant-trained mercenaries, really."

Nazz mused on this, then reached her conclusion with another strange look. "You're an army for _hire_?"

"_There's_ a good way to put it," Dreadnaught nodded in agreement. "It's kinda new. Our contractors find a client that can pay a good price, then hire us in bulk. It's good for a quick source of brute force, but the trade-off's poor organization." He sighed irritably. "Probably why the lockdown wasn't such a huge success…"

"That…" Nazz smirked, tossing the roll up and down. "…and the guys you're dealing with are pretty smart. With the kind stuff they've been through together, getting outta situations like that is their forte."

Dreadnaught rolled his eyes at her. Frankly, he thought those boys were given too much credit. "Yeah, well, it's costing me either way. Vull can cancel our contract at any time, and there go our jobs. It's hard enough finding a client with the right funds, and they have to have a pretty damn good reason to hire an entire army."

"And I'm guessing you don't know Vull's reason?"

Dreadnaught shook his head. "Classified information between the contractor and client. We just do what we're told. There're even places in this castle my men aren't allowed to patrol. Authorized personnel only; namely, Vull."

"Of course…" Nazz muttered, taking an irate bite out of her roll. "I mean, I _get_ that he doesn't wanna be a clichéd villain by giving me his whole plan in some boring monologue, but come _on!_ His pigheadedness is really starting to tick me off."

Dreadnaught laughed in spite of himself. "There's at least _one_ thing we share in common."

Nazz let out a single tiny chuckle that quickly died in her throat.

"Look, point is," he began to finish. "Even if I _wanted_ to tell you anything, I couldn't, 'cause I don't know squat. Hell, I'm probably getting myself into trouble for telling you _this_ much."

"Bummer," Nazz replied sympathetically. "Sorry if I cost you your job. Personally, I'd look into another career."

Dreadnaught sighed deeply. At this point, that didn't sound like a bad idea.

"Just… eat your food before it gets cold," he grunted flatly, turning away and locking the door behind him.

Nazz watched him leave in silence, then took his advice and began to work on her meal. Idly, she glanced out her window, her only portal to the outside, and wondered…

_How're they doing out there? How's… _he_ doing?_

----------

As it turns out, the object of her musing was sweating a little at the moment. Not too badly, though. All he was doing was surveying the carnage he had unknowingly left behind the night before.

"…Good lord…!"

"Pretty sweet, huh?" Eddy grinned as they stood before the great hole in the cliff wall. Ed was standing inside of it, marveling the perfectly-cut rock layers above his head with 'ooh's and 'ah's. "The blow knocked you out, though."

"…I'd imagine it would," Edd replied quietly. It still wasn't quite clicking with him that _he_ was the one that had made such a huge impression.

"So, I was thinking," Eddy idly continued. "If we're gonna use this move against enemies, we just gotta watch out for walls, right?"

Slowly, Edd nodded. "…Right. That'd… be wise."

Approaching them, Ed was pouting. "I _still_ can't believe you did a cool new move and didn't show _me!_"

"You were busy _sleeping_, you lummox!"

"Well, still!"

"You'll see it in action later, Ed," Edd assured. "And I'm sure we'll come up with more co-op move sets in the future. For now…" His gaze traveled up the sheer cliff wall. "…you need to float us over the cliff if we want to go any further."

"Oh!" Ed literally jumped out of his irate frown and beamed. "Right! No prob, Double D!"

"_HA!_ Don't bother with me, Ed!" Eddy proudly proclaimed, promptly revving up his feet and dashing up the cliff, flawlessly defying gravity.

Ed whistled, impressed.

"Showoff," Edd muttered jokingly.

Quite pleased with himself, Eddy waited for the two of them to join him, flying upwards on Ed's clouds of zero-point energy. He began his gloating once they were in hearing range.

"Hey, come _on_, slowpokes! I'm gettin' old here!"

"We're _all_ slowpokes compared to you, Eddy," Edd replied as his feet touched down upon the grassy cliff top. He briefly observed their new surroundings: more trees, but not as heavily populated as the dense, humid marshes below them. A dirt road leading deeper into the island was much more prominent, not to mention encouraging. At least there'd be no danger of getting lost.

"Right, then." Edd looked over his shoulder to where Eddy was bending and stretching his legs and Ed was gawking over the cliff's view. "Shall we continue?"

"Right behind you, Double D!"

"Yeah, yeah, we're coming…"

Edd smiled at his companions before they ventured into the woods.

----------

They kept to the path for quite a ways, watching their environment closely for any potential attackers. Eventually, it came to a point where they almost felt like they were the only ones traversing the area. It was… borderline eerie.

A shift of gears came they heard the soft, familiar beeping of those sentries again, and were quite surprised to find them approaching just ahead, patrolling the path itself. They passed by uneventfully, however; the second he saw them, Edd pulled them down into crouching positions and triggered on his invisibility, instructing his partners to remain absolutely still, barely above an audible whisper.

"Don't… move… a muscle."

None of them dared to, not even as the floating robots hovered just over their heads in their flight path. Ed shook a little, unnerved, but otherwise kept himself in check. Not long ago, it would've been impossible for him _not_ to freak out. His friends were silently impressed.

Finally, when at last they were gone, the trio materialized, glanced at each other, and quietly decided that straying off the road would be the safest course of action.

However, it wasn't necessarily the most practical. With identical rows of trees surrounding them at all angles, becoming lost was inevitable.

_Looks like I spoke too soon,_ Edd fleetingly noted to himself. But his firm steps did not waver. Oddly enough, he didn't feel in the least bit discouraged.

And that was bothering Eddy something fierce.

"Are we there yet?" Ed whined most annoyingly.

"_No_, Ed," Eddy growled a reply, repeated for about the hundredth time now.

"Are we there _now?_"

"No."

"…how 'bout now?"

"Yes."

"Really??"

"_No_, you lunkhead!"

"Aww…"

"Enough, you two," Edd lightly shushed them, his bright gaze fixed ahead.

"…okay, _seriously_, Double D," Eddy finally decided to voice his discomfort. "Do we have _any_ idea where we're going?"

"Not really, no."

Eddy was almost growing afraid. "And… that doesn't worry you."

"You know, you'd think it would, but it doesn't, really," Edd casually shrugged.

"Okay… _again_… you're freaking me out."

"What, again with this?" Edd turned to face them, hands planted on his hips. "Is it so strange for me not to _wig out_ over every little thing?"

"_Yeah,_" Ed and Eddy nodded in unison.

Losing his air faster than a popped balloon, Edd slumped and rolled his eyes. "Alright, fine, I'll give you that one," he admitted as his friends traded high-fives. ""…But hear me out, okay? As long as we keep moving in a straight line, even if we're going the wrong way, we'll just reach the cliff that border's the island's interior and turn back around towards the center. This island isn't large enough to make us _hopelessly_ lost."

"But what if we don't get there in time??" Ed asked over-dramatically.

"…As far as I know, Vull never gave us a time limit, Ed."

"…oh." Sheepishly, he took a step back.

"So… are we clear?"

"Well…yeah!" Eddy answered quickly to save face. "Just needed to know why you weren't freaking out, that's all!"

"Well, now you know."

"Well, hey, thanks!"

"Glad to have enlightened you."

Eddy grumbled as a smart-alec Edd continued to lead them on with his head held high. Oh, well. At least he wasn't sulking anymore.

A giggle from Ed and a weak punch from Eddy set things right again.

"Although…" Edd spoke up, still strolling along. "I will admit I have a few things on my mind…"

"Ugh," Eddy grunted in annoyance. "What _now?_"

"Oh, no, it's nothing depressing this time!" Edd replied defensively, smiling. "Just… thinking a bit about the future, is all. Y'know, where we'll be going after all this."

"I thought we were goin' home," Ed answered meekly.

"…okay, I meant when we're _older_. Once we finish school and have the chance to actually… go out and _explore_ the world." Edd clenched at his chest in mild emotion. "I mean, with these powers, the sky's the limit, right?"

Ed mused in interest while Eddy shrugged. "…guess so."

Lightly, Edd turned and gawked their way. "Oh, come now! Haven't you considered at all where we could go, what opportunities lie in wait with these abilities bestowed upon us?"

Eddy raised a brow. "Double D, you _know_ I don't think that far ahead."

Edd sighed, deflated. "Of _course_ you don't."

"Ooh! Ooh!" Ed waved his arm up as if still in a classroom. "Can we go live in the _ocean??_"

Recognizing the topic from yesterday, Edd could only chuckle in amusement. "I don't think that'd be very practical, Ed."

"Aww…"

"Well, then, where'd we go, huh, Sockhead?" Eddy questioned. "Knowing you, you probably got an idea already, right?"

"I do, actually." Continuing on their set path, Edd elaborated delightfully, "There's an organization based in London I came across in my research earlier. They call themselves the Skylark team."

"The _Skylark_ team?"

"Oooooh…"

Edd nodded. "Basically, they're a group of Super Children that work together for the good of humanity. They also specialize in dealing with other Super Children with… less than noble causes."

"You mean," Ed piped up quietly. "…there are… _bad_ Super Children too?"

"Well, no duh, Ed!" Eddy replied bluntly. "You're gonna get at least _one_ guy who'll say 'hey, why don't I just use my powers to steal stuff?'" He paused, beginning to reconsider. "…actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea…"

"_Ohhh_, no." Edd waggled his finger in playful warning. "I'm not letting you go down that path, Eddy. Because then when we join the Skylark team, I'll be forced to _take you down_."

"Ohoho, I'd like to see you try!" The three laughed as Eddy made a spectacle of himself with a challenging dance around him before Edd pushed him away playfully.

"_Anyway…_ the team has jurisdiction mainly in Europe, but their services can extend to other continents if required. Most of the time, they're based in Skylark Manor, just outside of London." An amazed grin grew on his face. "Every new team, every generation, is led by a member of the Skylark family, whether they become a Super Child themselves or not. It's a tradition that's been going on for generations. Isn't that amazing?"

"Sounds pretty sweet."

"…Double D?"

"Hmm? Yes, Ed?"

"…how _long?_" Ed asked in impending awe. "When did it all _start?_ Who were the first Super Children?"

Edd was taken aback, to understate, and his amazement took on a whole new level. "…Gosh, I…" He almost found himself unable to reply. "…I don't know, Ed. They could've very well gone as far back as out earliest ancestors… which would explain a few historical mysteries, wouldn't it?"

"Maybe." Eddy had to admit, Edd's good mood was rubbing off on him."So… we gonna ask the Skylark team later if we can join 'em?"

Edd nodded again. "That's what I was hoping. For now, though…" He turned ahead, more determined than ever. "…let's focus on surviving our trials here first."

"I hear that!" At a low, hungry growl, Eddy moaned and belched uncomfortably. "Speaking of surviving, what're we gonna do for food? We haven't eaten anything since we got here."

Edd paused in his confident step. "Oh… good question," he admitted, growing slightly worried (for once today) as he scratched under his cap. "All our provisions were on the plane… and I haven't seen any creatures we could catch either…"

Outside their attention, Ed froze, his eyebrow perked up like a hunting dog's ears.

"Even if there _were_, you'd never get me to eat it. I don't eat _raw squirrel._"

"You could cook it yourself."

"…oh, yeah, that's _real_ helpful, Double D."

"I try."

Ed took another whiff of the pine-scented air, though he knew he was catching something else. Pointing his nose up, he did his best to follow the tempting smell.

"_Seriously_, what're we gonna do for…??"

Eddy paused as Ed slinked between them, nose held high and hot on the trail of… something. Edd and Eddy exchanged glances, shrugged, and followed their oddly-talented friend onwards.

Ed grew excited the closer he got, and they had to expedite their pace to keep up with him. Finally, he halted abruptly, causing his friends to bump into him from behind, leaned forward, and gently parted the bushes blocking his view.

"Ahh…!" At his brightening face and hum of wonder, Edd and Eddy climbed up on his shoulder to take a look for themselves.

The forest broke its pattern into a well-sized grove that, clearly now, emanated soft, delectable scents. Half of the grove was lined with full fruit trees, their crop ripe and bright in color, and the other half was planted with furrows of fresh vegetables ready for harvest. All the greenery nearly seemed to shimmer under the unfiltered sunlight above.

"…A _garden_…" Edd breathed, dazzled. "How quaint."

"Aw, man! Fruits and veggies?" Eddy groaned, ruining the moment. "Gimme a break!"

"Now's not the time to be picky, Eddy," Edd reminded, stepping over the foliage after Ed leaped in with a hearty laugh of glee. Eddy rolled his eyes before following.

While Ed attacked the vegetable patch, chomping on carrot after potato after green onion, and Edd wandered elsewhere, Eddy looked over the produce with mild distaste. Deciding on which one he could most likely stomach, he reached up and plucked a glistening red Macintosh apple from its tree. He looked it over pensively for a second, until another rumble from its gut urged him into scarfing it down. One could've sworn the sound of a buzzsaw came with his rapid biting, and not a second later, all that was left in his hand was the thin apple core.

"Heh. Sweet." He grinned before grabbing another.

Edd, meanwhile, was fondly gazing over the rest of the hanging crop, a banana's peel ripping easily in his hands. As he delightfully chewed bite after bite, he observed the simple, natural beauty around him as if he were strolling through an art museum. The bright apples, the full oranges, the plump tomatoes, the fuzzy kiwi…

…wait a second…

"…Odd," he spoke to himself, a gooey chuck of banana in his cheek. "…planting dissimilar crops next to one another usually stunts growth… how are these fruit trees thriving so well…?"

"_Magic_, Double D!"

"Ack!" Edd jumped slightly, brushing stray clumps of dirt off his shoulder. He turned to look Ed up and down, who was covered head to toe in fresh top soil, raising a brow.

"…right. Ed, must you be so messy?" he questioned. "It's discourteous."

"But it's all _so good_, Double D!"

"I'm sure it is, but it's not our garden to trash u…"

Edd had begun turning towards a ruined vegetable patch in order to prove his point, but he froze when he looked upon furrows that looked as though they hadn't even been _touched_.

He looked at Ed, that at the pristine patch, then Ed.

"…weren't you just digging through that?"

Ed shrugged, then leaped into it once more, dirty as a happy pig. Edd could only scratch his head, puzzled.

When a stray apple core bonked against the back of his head, Edd turned to glare at the source, finding Eddy tossing aside his latest apple core. A little pile of about twenty of them sat behind him.

"Eddy!" he scolded, waggling his mostly-eaten banana in disapproval. "You pig! Don't eat _all_ of them!"

Eddy only glanced up and gave him an unreadable, deadpan look. "Um… I don't think that's gonna be a problem."

Confused, Edd glanced over and could only gawk. The apple tree was as full of fruit as ever.

"How on earth…?" Testing it out for himself, Edd plucked an apple of his own from off its branch. He was then treated to the spectacle of nature, fast-forward: a flower instantly sprouted, bloomed, and changed into a full-grown apple before their very eyes.

Edd gasped and took a step back. He barely noticed that Eddy had already snagged the apple from his hands and engulfed it as quickly as all the others.

"See? It just grows right back!" Eddy pointed out the obvious. "So what's the problem?"

"But how…?" Edd wondered aloud, looking over the entirety of the garden. "Who takes such good care of this place?"

"Someone with a green thumb, obviously."

It was meant to be a joke, but Edd's eyes brightened in realization.

"That's it…!" he breathed, facing Eddy positively. "_Plant-shaping!_"

"Huh?"

"There's bound to be a Super Child out there with the ability to grow and shape plants at will, right? He or she is most likely already here!"

Ed was barely listening, picking out more vegetables, only to watch in amusement as they popped right back up again.

"So, what, they got their own personal gardener?"

"You could say that, Eddy. I'm sure importing food to this isolated area is difficult, so it would make sense for them to grow it all locally."

"Okay… so where _is_ this miracle gardener?"

"That… I'm not sure."

Ed continued to comb the magical garden, until he spotted a strange patch of greenery at the border of the vegetable patch.

"However, based on the condition of this garden and the way it automatically compensates… I'm almost certain that there's more of a _constant exposure_ of plant-shaping at work here."

"Constant? Wouldn't that make them tired?"

"Probably… though it would also explain the island itself. You didn't see any propulsion devices keeping it afloat, did you?"

"Nope."

"Then that would be a constant exposure of _levitation_. And a lot of it, to keep this entire island in the air."

Ever curious, Ed crept up to the green, viney plant, only for it to shake and disappear into the bushes. Surprised, he did the only thing he could think of doing. He followed it in.

"Okay, fine. I get that much. But where _are_ these Super Children you keep talking about?"

"I don't know… Come to think of it, we haven't seen another _soul_ as of yet. Where are all the teachers, the students?"

"I'unno. Curfew?"

"It's almost noon, Eddy."

"Well, they're not in class, 'cause no halfway decent school would hold classes on Sunday."

"You don't know that."

"I'm not joining a school that has classes on the weekend!"

"You weren't even planning on joining in the _first_ place!"

"Irregardless…"

Their conversation came to a halt when they simultaneously realized how quiet it had gotten. They both looked around, then at each other, and spoke in unison:

"Where's Ed?"

Almost as if answering, a recognizable cry of distress echoed through the grove, getting the pair to leap to their feet.

"_ED!_"

"Ed, where are you??"

"Double D! This way!"

"Ah!" Edd followed his speedy friend through the slice in the bushes he had created. Panicking slightly for the well-being of his friend, he tore through bush and bramble as swiftly as he could, even after losing Eddy. He treaded the slight path cut through, until finally he broke into a small open area with thorny vines tangled upon the ground. And there, halfway submerged under a pile of dead brush, laid Ed, apparently struggling to escape.

"Ed!"

The oaf looked up quickly. "D-Double D!"

"What happened?? Are you trapped?"

"Uh… I think so…"

"Hold on, I'm coming to help…!"

"_No, wait, __**don't!!!**_"

Ed's warning came too late. One step on the matted ground, and at a vicious cracking noise, much like a tight whip, Edd fell forward before being yanked into the air screaming, hanging upside-down by his ankle. Briefly, he caught the sight of an also screaming Ed being dragged fully underneath before he himself was jerked through a wall of hard, heavy bramble. The thorns left their fair share of cuts and gashes across his clothes and exposed skin.

But they became the least of his worries once he got a glimpse of what had ensnared them.

It looked like it had crawled straight out of a sci-fi: out of the ground had spawned a humungous, twisted version of a Venus fly trap, emerged in a tangle of erratically dancing vines, like a hundred separate arms at its disposal. Giant thorns littered its body (a mix of mucus green and rust red) inside pores, pulsing with mild leakage of green pus. When it jerked him closer, its gargantuan mouth, rimmed with razor-sharp teeth, cracked open, and a single angry eyeball at the tip of its tongue looked him straight in the face.

Edd screamed in terror, igniting an otherworldly roar from the monster. Its acidic spit stung slightly, leaving light burn marks splattered across his cheeks.

"_Ahhhh!!_"

"_Double Deeeee!!_"

At the familiar cries on either side of him, Edd looked about to find his comrades in the same predicament. Ed was entangled about the chest, and Eddy was tied at the waist, as the trio of Super Children was suspended in midair by their latest enemy.

"Ed! Eddy!"

"_Whoa!_" Eddy struggled in his sways. "Is this plat-shaping gone _wrong_ or what!?"

"I don't _knowWW__**WAAAAHHHHH!!!**_" Edd shrieked as he was tossed into the air, flipping rapidly. At the arc, he looked down with wide eyes into the gaping mouth of the carnivorous plant, awaiting its next meal to drop down.

"_**AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!**_"

"_DOUBLE D!!!_"

**SNAP!**

Ed and Eddy gawked in shock, as it looked like the monster had eaten their friend in one solid bite. And as it turned to them, they both screamed, as they knew they were next.

It pulled back to lunge, but then withdrew, struggling. It lurched back and forth, gurgling, as if something wasn't going down its throat properly.

"…no way…!"

Finally, a glow of blue peeked out between its teeth, and its jaws were forced open with a translucent blue orb. And inside, drenched in slime…

"_**Double D!!**_"

"Aw, _yeah! Alright!!_"

Straining to sustain it, Edd's eyes snapped up their way, fierce with determination.

"Eddy!" he called. "Get yourselves free with fire!"

"…oh, no _duh!_" Smacking himself for not thinking of that sooner, he snapped his fingers, sparking a flame that instantly grew to fit in the palm of his hand. He then swiped his aflame fist across the thorny vine that held him in the air. At the monster's screech of pain, it recoiled, releasing its grip. As he dropped to the ground, he launched another fireball Ed's way, and the vine dropped him as well.

"Now _get me out of here!_"

"Coming, Double D!" Eddy dashed up the plant, dodging more vine swipes, before pushing Edd's ball away. The fly trap's maw snapped down not a moment later. Eddy jumped back just in time, and Edd released his force field before crashing down to earth.

"_Unf!_" Edd kissed the ground most painfully. He groaned dizzily, his knees and elbows surely scuffed up from his hard landing.

"Watch out!" Swiftly, a hand grabbed him by the arm and yanked him to his feet, just as another vine came slapping down, trying to recapture its prey. Ed pulled him aside quickly, and they all regrouped behind the nearest tree.

"That…" Eddy wheezed. "…was _way_ too close!"

"At least you weren't the one in his craw!" Edd replied, biting his lip at his singed clothes.

"Whadda we do??" Ed cried.

"Uh…" Edd had to think on his feet. "Avoid the vines aaaand look for a weak spot!"

"Got it!"

When a vine wrapped around the tree and pulled it away, roots and all, the trio split up and faced their adversary head on.

Being the fastest, Eddy was the more daring in his approach. A few times he had ducked under enough vines and climbed high enough for a chance to hit the fly trap itself, but every hit was the same: he cringed painfully with each punch and kick, only hurting himself against its shell.

Edd was noting this to himself, invisible and thus not in the monster's current interest. He watched Eddy's futile blows and Ed's surprisingly graceful midair dodging upon his cloud of ZPE.

And when he saw the large thorns beginning to retract, he knew what was coming.

"_Look out!_"

In a series of disgusting, squishing sounds, the thorns were launched from their pores, flying in all directions. Eddy managed to dodge them and Edd blocked others with his force field, but Ed was not as fortunate. One he failed to see coming pierced him through the middle, pinning him to another tree.

"_**ED!**_"

"Oww…" Ed wiggled uncomfortably, trying to pull it out. "Urgh! I-I'm stuck, guys!"

Edd fleetingly sighed in relief. "I keep forgetting about that."

"What _now!?_" Eddy bellowed as the monster recovered from the last barrage. "The thing's hide is rock-solid! How're we gonna kill it??"

Edd had never developed battle strategy before, but once the cogs of his mind started clicking, it became second-nature. He looked at the monster. He looked at the spine that Ed was trying to escape from. He looked at the monster again, its jaws stretching and tongue lashing as it straightened back up.

An insane plan was brewing in his mind, but there wasn't time to second-guess it.

"Help Ed get free!" he commanded, running towards the tree and jumping over vines attempting to trip him.

"Huh? _What??_" After ducking under a quick lash from a stray vine, Eddy decided, once again, not to question any further. Double D was on to something; best to see how it played out.

As Eddy ran up the tree and latched onto the giant thorn, wiggling it out slowly like a cork top, Edd hollered, "Ed! I know you're a bit preoccupied at the moment, but could you toss me towards the beast? I have a plan!"

Ed seemed to catch on right away, grinning, nodding, and lifting his arm up dramatically. "One Double D, going _up!_"

He then threw it forward, grabbing Edd on a string of ZPE, and whisked it back, propelling Edd into the air once more. Filled with purpose, this time he felt no fear as he got another bird's eyes view of the gaping craw, drooling fanatically. It wanted its meal!

_Well, too bad. I have a girl to rescue._

Another force field prevented it from fully snapping its mouth shut. Struggling against the strength of its massive mandibles, Edd glanced over his shoulder thankfully watching as they pulled Ed free at last. The hole in his gut closed up nice and quickly.

The three of them made eye contact, Ed in the air (still holding the oversized thorn), Eddy on the ground, and Edd in the beast's jaws, holding it open. Without exchanging a word, they all knew their part. This freak of nature was going down.

Eddy moved closer, climbing up the plant's stalk again, while Ed would up his throw, spinning the thorn rapidly in his hands until just the right moment…

…when Eddy leaped in. "_NOW!_"

In one synchronized movement, Ed threw the spine in like a spear, Edd released his field, and Eddy grabbed him by the waist, shoving him out.

_**SPLURTCH!**_

The monster let out a high-pitched yowl as one of its own weapons stabbed through its throat. Its single eye popped like a water balloon. Its jaws had lost their connection hanging apart limply. Its vines thrashed about wildly, even as they began to shrivel up.

Landing beside each other, the Eds watched as the beats flailed a few more seconds, then froze, giving in. It floated down lifelessly, like a great deflating fun house. Brown and dried up, it laid defeated on the forest ground below.

Once more, side-by-side, the victors of another battle, the three stared at the remains for only a moment more. Then, they grinned at each other's dirty and cut-up faces and broke into wild cheers.

"And the winner is… _**the Ed team!**_" Ed announced, imitating a cheering crowd. "_Haaaaah!_"

"Ahahaha!" Eddy laughed, pounding Edd in the stomach. "Double D, you are turning into a _freaking_ madman and I _love_ it!"

Edd coughed merrily. "The mad hare is the one to outlive his hunters, Eddy!"

"_Guys!_" Ed eagerly called to them, gesturing widely to come closer. He was looking through another parting in the bushes, revealed after the walls of thorns had died away. "Look!"

The other two hurried over, and what they glanced upon only made them celebrate more. Because below the hill they stood upon, there stood the Hall of Supers Academy, a castle-like structure, draped in flags with the school colors of royal blue and green.

"_Alright!!_ We made it!"

"Ed passes the test! Hooray!!"

Edd looked over the imposing campus with a light heart. Though he knew it was too early to celebrate, he was comforted to know they were that much closer… that it wouldn't be long before he saw her lovely smile again.

_Just hold on a little longer, Nazz… We're almost there._

----------

A/N: HOLY mother of Mario, that took a while. XD Oh well. I was on a ROLL writing that last battle yesterday, let me tell you. Fun times had by all! 8D Anyways, as always, please review!


	14. Perfect

A/N: Okay, okay, okay, yes. I know that spoiler pic would whet your appetite. XD So, let's get on with it, shall we?

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Chapter 14: Perfect

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_Creak…_

"…do you see anything, Eddy?"

"Yeah, dark. Lots and lots of _dark_."

"Oh, like we haven't heard _that_ one before."

Eddy rolled his eyes before pushing the castle door further open and gesturing for his comrades to follow. Quietly, the Eds stepped inside the school's entrance, and once they closed the door behind them with a heavy _clank_, they looked forward, squinting through the darkness.

The corridor before them stretched on for quite a distance, farther than any of them could tell from the dim lighting. Sun beams cascading down from small windows provided the light; it was midday, so the torches lining the stone pillars were out. Conveniently, however, each beam of light fell on one of the countless paintings that lined the walls, each one a profile of a different person showing off their abnormal power, a title plaque underneath. The powers ranged from super strength to shape-shifting, even to (quite literal) digital surfing.

"Whoa…" Eddy's voice echoed through the dust-riddled air. "Heck of an entry hall."

"Actually, Eddy…" Edd breathed in awe. "…I think this is the actual Hall of Supers."

"Oh, yeah? Cool."

"Wow…" Ed cooed, breathless.

A reverent air blew through the grand gallery as the trio slowly strolled down the Hall, observing the various portraits of Super Children with mixed amounts of interest. Edd was almost looking for an older Child with his same powers, someone he could possibly look up to, but he couldn't find such a Child.

Instead, he paused when he realized they had left someone behind. He turned to find the lost sheep not too far back.

"Ed?"

The oaf replied with a sigh, his gaze fixed on one painting in particular as he stood before it, frozen in unbridled interest. Curious, the other two stepped back to take a look for themselves. It was a portrait of a female Super Child conversing with birds, rabbits, and other gathered creatures, surrounded by shapes of other animals in the border of the painting.

"…Huh." Intrigued, Edd read the plaque beneath out loud. "_Miranda Fiinch, the Animal Super Child_." He looked over her image again. "Looks like she has the ability to talk to animals… perhaps even shape-shift into them as well."

"…cool…" Ed hummed dreamily. "I'd like to have that superpower."

Edd chuckled. "It _does_ sound enticing…"

"Fits her, too," Eddy threw in his own comment. "She looks like a total cowgirl."

Edd threw him a gawk, appalled. "Eddy!"

"What? She does!"

"And just what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing! She probably deals with lotsa animals, so it fits!"

"You don't _know_ that, Eddy! You've got to stop generalizing!"

"I was just saying…!"

The argument faded in Ed's ears after a while. He just… couldn't stop _looking_ at this girl. Something about her just seemed so… appealing to him. He had no clue what, of course, but that didn't stop him from staring at her image in complete serenity.

"Come on, Ed!"

He did a double take, shaking a bit of sense into him. He nodded to his comrades, shooting one last lingering look at the Animal Super Child before following.

"Look, all I'm saying is…" Eddy was wrapping up the quarrel with his closing statement as they continued walking. "…that you gotta learn how to _read_ people!"

"Is that it," Edd flatly replied, giving in at this point.

"Yup…ooh!" Another painting caught his eye, bright in color… not to mention a nice figure within the frame. He hurried over, reading, "_Matilde Cruz, the Electric Super Child_." He wolf-whistled to the side. "Check _her_ out."

"Uh-huh," Edd observed, raising a brow. "What _about_ her, hmm, Eddy? What sort of vibe does _this_ one give off?"

Eddy smirked, looking over her beautiful bod. "Well… she's got attitude, no doubt. Maybe a little hot-tempered…" He snickered, winking at Edd, who rolled his eyes. "…but that'd be no problem for me."

"Of course it wouldn't." Edd looked her over again. "…I don't think those shorts are her size."

Aghast, Eddy quickly looked at the portrait, then back at his pal. "…that's the whole _point_, Double D."

Edd shook his head in dismay, turning away to continue his walk. "You have the weirdest taste in women."

"Ex_cuse_ me??" Eddy gaped, though lightly. "Y'know, I kinda liked Nazz too! I just let you have her!"

The moment Edd had frozen in midstep, Eddy instantly regretted opening his big mouth. Even Ed recognized the insensitivity, giving him a disapproving pout.

"…I know."

Those two soft words, echoing through the vast corridor, surprised them both. They watched Edd carefully as he turned to face them, an array of emotions reflected in his expression.

"I _know_ you liked her, Eddy… _Everybody_ liked her…" Hesitantly, he rubbed his scabbed-over arm. "…and of all the people she could've possibly liked back… you can't imagine how awkward that is for me."

"Hey, now," Eddy stepped forward to set things straight, jabbing a finger into Edd's sternum. "You're the one who left a lasting impression on her, so don't think for a _second_ you don't deserve it." He met a touched Edd's gaze levelly. "She's waitin' for _you_. Don't disappoint her."

Slowly, Edd nodded. "I… I won't." He waited for Eddy to draw back. "I just… I-I know you told me not to worry, but… I was afraid my current romantic situation would… tarnish our _own_ friendship."

"Well, it hasn't, has it?"

"No… quite the contrary, actually…" He finally smiled up at them. "You've been nothing but supportive this entire time… which is something I didn't expect."

"I don't blame you," Eddy shrugged. "Guess I'm more glad for you than anything. I thought you'd never get lucky."

Edd winced. They were meant to be light words of comfort, no doubt, but they still struck a hard chord. And it wasn't the first time he'd heard it either.

"…Alright, guys, I need you to be honest with me…" he murmured in chagrin. "…am I really that pathetic?"

Ed thought about it for a moment, then gave him a rarely meaningful grin, shaking his head. "Not anymore."

Taken aback, Edd mulled this over, smiling deeply to himself. He glanced back up as Eddy nudged Ed in approval for saying just the right thing.

"You know…" Edd sighed, bringing their attention back to him. "It does my heart good to know we're growing up a little bit, all of us."

"Heh, yeah… I guess so."

"Just think…" He twirled around to walk down the corridor, gesturing to each painting with light fingers. "Someday we may even grow to the caliber of _these_ great heroes! Wouldn't that be something?"

"Ooh!" Ed beamed. "Then we'd get paintings too, right?"

"We would indeed…?" Edd paused. As they were approaching the end of the Hall, one of the more recent works of art caught his attention. He stepped up to get a closer look, rubbing his chin. "…odd."

"What?" Once again, Eddy would be the one to read the plaque. "_Fletcher Skylark, the Super Child of Flight_?" He straightened up when he remembered something, turning to a thoughtful Edd. "Oh, hey, that means he was leader of the Skylark team at one point, right?"

Surprisingly, Edd shook his head. "Not was, Eddy… _is_. He's the current leader of the Skylark team, and he's only had the role for a couple of years." His thought were leaning toward suspicion, his voice lowering a bit. "…which makes me question why he's already in the Hall of Supers."

"Maybe he did some pretty awesome stuff," Ed contributed. "He probably saved the world at _least_ three times."

"Mmm… you're probably right." Slowly, Edd turned away, trying not to let it bother him for much longer.

"Well, one thing _I_ know…" Eddy spoke up wily, shooting Edd a grin. "…is that the more we waste time here, the longer Nazz has to wait."

"…okay, you're definitely right about that," Edd admitted as they approached another large oak door, leading into the rest of the academy. He turned to his companions as he clutched the door's handle. "Proceed with caution. The school's likely swarming with soldiers."

They nodded to each other, and with the heavy creak of the door, the three stepped into enemy territory.

-----------

The dark hallways of the Hall of Supers Academy had about as much cheer and charm as a crypt. Electric light fixtures lining the ceiling brought little comfort, most of them flickering across the cold, slate-colored walls. The uniform pattern of ancient brick was broken by nothing but the occasional directional sign. It appeared that no expense, much less effort, was made to make the school's interior look at all presentable.

Even worse… no one was there to greet them. There were plenty of unmarked doors, and hallways that led nowhere useful, but not a single soul had yet passed them by.

"…okay, this is downright _creepy_," Eddy finally voiced what was on all their minds.

Ed nodded, his voice an apprehensive whisper. "This looks more like _The Haunted Castle on Redemption Lane_ than the Hall of Supers Academy."

"I will have to admit, this is not what I was…!!" A quick gasp, an Edd suddenly had his teammates pinned to the wall, blending into the stonework.

"Wha…!?"

"_Shh!_"

Not a moment after, a hulking figure turned the corner just ahead. As expected, it was one of the same soldiers from the lockdown, patrolling the hallways with an amazing lack of diligence. The long barrel of his gun slanted down in his slacking grip, and his shuffling footsteps were clumsy and loud enough to reach Edd's ears just in time. Yawning in boredom, the man passed them right by, disappearing down a farther away corner.

The Eds materialized once he was out of earshot, relaxing their held breaths in relief.

"Good call, Double D," Eddy muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Though the way he looked, I think we could've taken him."

"Not after he calls in reinforcements." They turned to Edd intently, as his voice had become low and barely audible. "…I don't think they know we're inside yet."

Eddy seemed skeptical, but his own voice lowered in volume. "You sure?"

Edd quickly nodded. "Surely they would've beefed up security, if not meet us at the front door."

"Huh… true."

"That's a good thing, right?" Ed asked, making an effort to keep up. He grinned gleefully when Edd nodded again.

"If we're sticking to the original plan, then yes."

"The plan where we grab Nazz and split?" Eddy clarified.

"Right. We don't have much time, so let's get moving."

Their steps were noticeably quieter as they continued on down the hall. As soon as they turned the corner themselves, they were met with a four-way intersection, and things got all the more complicated.

"_Great,_" Eddy grunted in vexation. "Where do we start?"

Edd glanced around, the cogs in his brain consistently moving in thought. He spotted another sign on the wall, pointing in all four directions. The way they came was marked the exit. To their left…

"_Registration_." Briefly, he shot his partners a smirk. "Last chance to sign up."

"_Right_." Eddy equally returned it, Ed chuckling beside him. Quickly, he checked the other two options. "Classrooms this way, dorm rooms that way."

"Dorm rooms…" Making up his mind, Edd moved over to the right-hand passage. "That's probably where they're keeping her, so I'll head down that way. You two take the other route and search the classrooms, just in case."

"Whoa, wait a sec." Ed gasped while Eddy glanced at him sternly. "I get that we gotta split up to cover more ground, but can you handle it by yourself?"

"I'll be fine, Eddy," Edd replied, not in the least bit intimidated. "My powers are sort of tailored to this 'sneaking around' business."

"…oh. Yeah, you're right… again. Just be careful, alright?"

Edd nodded, comforted by the concern. "You too. Try not to get yourselves into a fight if you can. The sooner we escape this place, the better."

"Right. Meet back at the Hall of Supers?"

"ASAP. Good luck."

"Same to you, lover boy."

Edd turned away just in time to cover a blush tinting his face. Ed waved to him until Eddy swiftly yanked the lovable oaf away by the arm. The hunt was on.

-----------

As Edd was beginning to figure out, there was more to this said sneaking-around business than he initially thought. Invisibility helped tremendously, of course, but it'd be useless if they heard him coming or felt him brush past. It was easier in the wide, loosely-patrolled halls of Peach Creek Junior High. But in these narrow column, every sound he'd make echoing across the cold stone, his steps needed to be much more careful. He even had to monitor his heavy breathing.

Tiptoeing as silently as he could manage, Edd wound his way through the many hallways, turns, and occasional upward staircases. Whenever he crossed paths with a guard, he flattened himself against the wall, let them pass, and continued moving, all the while steeling his nerves as best he could.

_She's close by… I can __**feel**__ it._

Eventually, he came across a hallway lined with identical doors, dull and monotonous as the rest of the campus. Some distance away, at the end of the hall, sat another guard, who must've been so bored to tears he fell fast asleep at his post.

_He must be guarding the dorms… which isn't saying much considering we're the only ones he's watching out for._ Edd could almost feel for him. Almost. _Best not to awaken him._

His steps even lighter then before, Edd approached the first door to his left. Thankfully, this doors had small windows which he could quickly (and quietly) look into.

_Not this one,_ he observed, noting how empty the dorm looked. It was rather unnerving, but he quickly brushed the feeling off, focusing on the task at hand.

Experimentally, he tried to open the door, glancing at the sleeping soldier at every sound he'd accidentally make. Even so, the door refused to budge for him.

_Locked… as are the rest of them, most likely._ Edd bit his lip. _If I do find her here, I'll need the keys…_

Once again, his gaze landed on the snoring guard, more intently this time. Cautiously, he approached, and as expected, he found a rings of keys hooked to a small clip that hung from his belt.

Edd stood back, looking the man over as he evaluated the situation. It wasn't going to be easy, but he needed to get these doors unlocked.

_Simply taking them would be easy enough,_ he mulled. _But he'd be more likely to notice they're gone… unless I replace the weight. But with what?_

When he reached up a hand to scratch his head, he had an answer.

…_oh dear._

He was hesitant at first, but deep down he knew this would come up sooner or later. He sighed quietly to himself.

_Buck up, Eddward. This is for Nazz._

Slowly, he pulled off his hat, trying to shake off his vulnerable he suddenly felt. Thank goodness he was invisible.

Carefully, he leaned in, pulling the hook open and slipping the loops of keys out. He then clipped his cap into the hook, making sure it was secure before drawing away. The slumbering soldier had not been disturbed.

_There._ He eyed the keys in his hands, then the doors. _Hold on, Nazz… I'm coming._

-----------

Elsewhere, his companions were forced to exercise the same amount of caution, if not moreso. After all, they didn't have the advantage of invisibility.

Ed took to perching on Eddy's back, fighting the urge to use his own powers (the blue light would surely draw attention to them) as he held on tight. Eddy strode at a medium pace; he found that rolling his feet, heel to ball to toe, marching band style, kept his steps quiet but steady. They made it easy for him to stop as well, and duck behind corners from approaching guards, who seemed just as clueless as ever.

_This is way too easy,_ he noted to himself. _…but something doesn't feel right._

"Pst!" Ed tapped his shoulder, pointing up at the hallway of marked doors they were now entering. For now, it was empty of soldiers.

"…huh." Eddy spoke in a soft voice, just in case. "Guess these're the classrooms."

Climbing down, Ed drew near a door to take a look for himself. He didn't notice little Eddy beneath him, quietly writhing in frustration as he tried to reach the small window with little success.

He paused, however, when Ed leaned back, a strange look on his face.

"…weird."

"What?"

"Doesn't really _look_ like a classroom…"

"…lemme see…"

Ed grabbed him under the arms (with mild protest) and lifted him up to the window to peek inside. Instead of the standard desks and chalkboard, the spacious room was lined with flat beds, a few cabinets, and a humungous flat-screen TV.

"…the heck?" Eddy mirrored his partner's reaction. "That ain't a classroom! What _is _it?"

"They look like barracks," Ed replied, looking in over Eddy's shoulder. "Y'know, where the soldiers sleep."

"And the big screen TV?"

"Soldiers get bored too, Eddy."

"Hm… Good point." Eddy hopped back down and began to muse. "Well, if these are where the soldiers are staying, then where the heck is the rest of the school?"

Ed shrugged, equally puzzled.

"…This is gettin' way too weird," Eddy understated. "And we _still_ haven't seen any teachers or students!"

Growing anxious, Ed scratched the nape of his neck, glancing around. "…L-let's keep going," he ventured meekly. "Maybe they're… further down."

"Whatever," Eddy grumbled as he held Ed's legs while he climbed on his back. "I'm just saying… I got a feeling this ain't even a school."

Ed did not reply at first. Then… "I hope we find Nazz soon."

"Huh?"

"'Cause this place is really freaking me out."

Eddy gave out a mirthless chuckle before continuing his strides. "You and me both, Lumpy."

-----------

Left alone that morning, Nazz was too busy in thought to finish her meal. The rolling tray full of half-eaten food sat against the far wall, stone-cold by now.

Unsure of what else to do, Nazz had flopped down on her bed, blankly staring out the window as she processed the information she had learned that morning. Armies for hire, classified contracts, restricted areas… not to mention all her previous suspicions from before. The dirt just kept piling up.

_Whatever Vull's planning… it __**can't**__ be good for the Eds._ Instinctually, she grew scared, curling inward. _Aw, man… I hope they'll be okay… especially…_

Her trained of thought was broken when the door clanked, unlocking again. Surprised, she sat up, watching it open painstakingly slow. It remained open for a moment or two, then quietly closed again.

Nazz only found this strange for a second more. The next, her heart lifted on a cloud of realization.

"Double D?"

Silence… then a soft chuckle.

"How'd you guess?"

Her hopes confirmed, Nazz's face lit up with a brilliant smile as she leaped off the bed, groping the air for her invisible rescuer. "Wh… where are y…_oh!_"

She gasped when she felt herself being pulled into a shaky, but longing embrace.

"…right here."

At his soft, endearing voice, whispering to her just over her shoulder, Nazz could feel her heart melting into a pot full of thousands of emotions. To the naked eye, she appeared to still be alone, but against her he felt so blessedly real, his warmth spreading to her and heating her up better than any blanket could. Tears of joy cascading down her face, she gave out a happy whimper and threw her arms around him, smothering her sobs in his shoulder.

All her suspicions and worries were lost in the moment, replaced by Edd and Edd alone. It almost felt as though he was wrapping a different kind of force field around them, shielding them from the cold air and icy bitterness surrounding them. His very presence brought her heaps of comfort, his lithe hands rubbing her back in reassurance while still holding her tight, as if fearing to let her go. He was not going to lose her again.

Neither wanted to let go, in fact, and they remained in that warm hug for quite some time. Nazz almost never wanted it to end.

"…D…Double D…" she finally got out, sniffling. "You came for me…"

"Of _course_ I did…" he choked, sounding just as emotional as she was.

"I was so… worried… (sniff)…"

"Shh…" He held her more firmly, one of his hands reaching up to gently run though her blonde hair. At these subtle signs of intimacy, Nazz couldn't help but be comforted, holding him closer in return.

"…I missed you…" she felt herself whisper to him.

"I… I missed you too…" She felt him start to tremble then. "…I-I… I've been kicking myself all the way here, wishing I could've done more to protect you…" Dry sobs escaped his throat, and he buried his face into her sleeve. "… I'm so sorry, this is all my fault…!"

"_No_, no no no no _no_…!" Nazz feverishly shook her head, her tears overwhelming. "You're here _now_, and that's what counts…"

"…N…Nazz…"

It took some time to get themselves under control, letting the sobs and sniffles pass. Once they had finally calmed down, they slowly drew away from each other. Nazz looked over… well, nothing, really, with an inward frown.

"…you're still invisible, you know."

"Oh…!" Even without seeing it, she could tell Edd had jumped at the observation. "…so I am."

"I waited all this time for you, Double D. Do I get to see you, or what?"

"Ahh… um…" For some reason, he sounded uncertain… reluctant, even. The familiar feathery sound came, and he finally appeared before her… but only from the neck down.

"...that includes your head too."

"Uhhh… ahhhh…" Edd's hands fiddled in front of him, a gesture of anxious hesitation she was learning to recognize from him. "…well… y-you see, I…"

"…_Waaaait_…" Slow understanding came to her when she remembered something about him… something he was never seen without. "Let me take a _wild_ guess…"

Smirking playfully, she leaned close until she could feel his nervous breath spray on her cheeks.

"You lost your hat, didn't you?"

The heat from his blush alone was too obvious to miss. Bulls-eye.

"…W-well, I didn't so much as _lose_ it…" he replied defensively, getting her to giggle with uneasy hand gestures as he spoke. "I-I used its weight to replace the keys on the slumbering guard's belt, you see… hoping it would buy me some more time to find you."

At this, however, Nazz gasped lightly, touched. "…aww… you gave up your hat for _me?_" Tenderly, she took his sweaty hands into her own. "Double D, that's so sweet."

"…o…oh." She couldn't hear, but Nazz was sure Edd's heart was racing in his chest. "…ehe…"

Darnit, this guy was adorable.

"…well?"

"…uh…"

"Come on… I won't tell anybody, I promise."

"I… I don't really… think I…"

"Hmm. Too bad… I was looking forward to seeing your handsome face."

Edd jumped again, letting out the cutest little squeak. Nazz couldn't blame him; he probably never heard such a compliment directed his way his entire life. His body was rigid in disbelief, but slowly, very slowly, the rest of him phased into visibility. It spread upwards, past his stupefied expression, to finally reveal his oh-so-dreaded secret.

But Nazz only smiled, reaching up to brush a stray lock of his raven hair out of his eyes. Sure, it was longer than she expected, just barely past his shoulders, and it laid flat and dishelved on his head, a typical case of hat-hair… but it looked rather charming, the way the thin strands of his bangs framed his face quite nicely, no matter how erratic they sat…

Neither noticed her hand lingering on the side of his face. It felt so natural.

"…that's better," she finally breathed.

Edd blinked feebly, their gazes of matching crystal blue making contact, and at her sincerity, pure and simple, a small, comforted smile tugged up at his lips.

"And really, is this it?" Nazz asked lightly, fingering an ebony lock. "Not as horrid as you made it out to be."

Edd pursed his lips, pinching the same bit of hair. "…it… it's so unruly…"

"It's not that bad, Double D."

"It's _embarrassing!_" he insisted.

"Nothing a comb won't fix."

"Oh, I've _tried_," Edd lamented playfully, getting her to laugh as he spread his locks apart and let them fall. "No comb can tame this hopeless mess. It settles on its own whim. Main reason why I pack it all into my hat in the first place."

"Well…" Nazz struck a challenging smirk. "It hasn't met _me_ yet."

"Ohoho, dear." Finally, she got a chuckle out of him too.

"Seriously, though, I'll see what I can do with it when we get back home."

"…I… I'd appreciate that," he softly replied, giving her a meaningful smile. "…thank you. You don't know what that means to me."

"I told you, it's no big deal. Frankly, I've seen worse." Another chuckle. "And really… you're still _you_… messy hair or not."

Edd returned her smile deeply, spellbound. Good lord, this girl was _perfect_… understanding… thoughtful…

He barely noticed her fingers tracing patterns along his cheek, until she brushed over a fresh burn mark, sparking a flash of pain across his skin. At his cringe and inhaled hiss, Nazz quickly drew back.

"Oh, geez, sorry!" As he gingerly rubbed his face, she finally began to notice other signs of abuse. "…oh… oh geez…!" Several scrapes, cuts, and bruises blemished his skin, scabbed-over gashes striping his arms and fingers. His clothes were worn thin, torn and tattered from hardship. In fact, what she thought at first was a slight tan was actually a slight layer of dirt he was caked head to toe in, enough to give him a grimy appearance. In general, he looked like he had crawled through a muddy battlefield.

"…man… you're a mess and a half, Double D."

"Yeah…" He surprised her by chuckling, scratching behind his neck. "…it's been a long day."

Nazz couldn't help but stare at his sheepish grin in amazement. Edd didn't look in the least bit concerned about his condition, brushing off and getting over the pain quite quickly. It was so out of character for him.

Then again… the way he was staring back at her now… the comfortable silence they were sharing… the bright flicker of confidence in his half-lidded eyes… that was something new too. It was a change in him she could appreciate.

So caught up she was in her scrutiny, she almost didn't notice the tears gathering in his eyes.

"…huh? Double D? What's wrong?"

Still smiling, he let them fall as he shook his head. "Nothing…" His voice cracked as he took her hands again, holding them up to his face emotionally. "I'm just… so glad you're okay…"

"Aww…"

"I'm sorry… I wish none of this ever happened."

"…I don't." Nazz beamed when he brought his questioning gaze up. "It was worth it, waiting for you… look at how much you've grown up since."

Eye contact once more. It was so much easier now.

"…Listen, Nazz…" Edd coughed, his cheeks tinting slightly. "Tell me, did you… really mean what you said? About me…"

"…being handsome?" Slowly, she laced her arms around him, drawing closer with that _gorgeous_ smile from before. "…of course I did."

"…oh…" he weakly replied, not knowing his own arms were encircling her back. "W-well, _you_ are simply the most… _beautiful _young woman I have ever laid eyes upon, and…!" After taking a breath, he blushed furiously, getting a sweet giggle from Nazz. "…_ahhhh_, that was _baaaad_…"

She shook her head, calming him down with a gentle caress. "No… it was _perfect_."

Edd did not dare to argue. Why would he? She was right, she was perfectly right… perfect in every which way. Not like him, a scrawny, nerdy, meek little…

His train of thought derailed when he realized how close their faces were, centimeters apart. Her warm breath felt soothing on his battered skin.

"…_you're_ perfect."

That soft whisper sent a jolt through him that nearly made his heart stop. But as he returned to her affectionate smile, he found it melting instead. And all doubts and fears trickled away with it.

They knew what came next. Edd thought it would never happen to him, ever, but everything was place: their sheer proximity, her hand cupping his chin oh so tenderly, their eyes simultaneously shutting… it couldn't have been any better than this. Though his heart was surging in his chest, he leaned forward, eagerly awaiting contact, ready to let it just…

_**SLAM!**_

Neither of them had _ever_ screamed that loud.

Irritated beyond all measure for his missed opportunity, Edd swerved around and screeched, "_**What!?**_"

However, what was standing at the door made him instantly regret it.

-----------

A/N: GAAAHHH I'M SO SORRY XD Evilest cliffhanger ever, I know. I told you, this chapter was getting way too long past this scene. But hey, an update's an update, right? Yay for teh fluffy romance! Please review!


	15. Can't Win All the Time

A/N: Okay. Seriously now. Usually you're good about being patient, but too many people are asking me "when will you update this??", on dA, at least. My answer to that is that writing stuff like this takes TIME. I can't just churn out a chapter with it being the same quality as the others. That's not fair to me as a writer, you as a reader, or the fiction itself. So just try being a little more patient, okay? I know I leave you with cliffhangers, but that's my job. XD For everyone else that's been nice and patient, thanks so much.

With that done, shall we move on to the chapter?

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Chapter 15: Can't Win All the Time...

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"... _**You**_..."

The dorm hall guard had finally woken up, it seemed like, and he looked about as cranky as a bear risen halfway through hibernation. He gave out a guttural growl, the black beanie clutched tightly in his fist.

"Is this your idea of a _JOKE!?_"

Edd took a single step back, not out of fear, but to better steady himself. Because past the generic uniform, he recognized the man's livid face from the brawl in the Peach Creek Junior High hallway. And he knew how prone the man was to launch an attack in rage. He had a recovering broken nose to remind him.

"In an ironic sort of way, I suppose so."

"I got _demoted_ to this sad excuse of a post because of you," the soldier continued, taking one stomping step inside.

"That's a shame," Edd replied, equally stern. "I thought you'd be more grateful. I spared your life, in case you forgot."

"Puh," the man scoffed, drawing agonizingly closer. "You didn't have it in you to kill me."

"Perhaps..." As the stage was being set for a duel, Edd quickly assessed the situation. Nazz had immediately moved close to the wall, out of the crossfire. Good. The only obstacles in the room were the bed and a dinner tray; the rest of the floor was clear. And if he didn't want to deal with any reinforcements, it'd be best if he dealt with this guy as quickly as possible, before he came to his senses and called them.

Knowing this, Edd subtly clutched his opposing wrist, locking challenging eyes with the spiteful soldier.

"...but I've got nothing against leaving a few bruises."

"_HA!_ Like to see you _try!_" The man then dashed forward, launching them into Round Two.

Edd surprised himself by easily side-dodging the first punch. The advance taught him much, and with his mind clear this time, he was able to identify his opponent: he was extremely proud and extremely confident in his strength, but he was also extremely enraged. Not the best combination, as Edd was learning. The more he swung and missed, the wider his swings grew in anger.

_His attacks are becoming more direct and predicable,_ Edd noted to himself, ducking under another madly flying fist. _Which should give me a chance to..._

As expected, he looked up to see an undershot of his face.

_Perfect!_

Clenching a fist, Edd threw all of his momentum upwards, catching the man's chin in an uppercut. The blow had effectively knocked him back, and Edd was quite proud of the successful hit. That is, until sharp pain spread across his knuckles. His dainty hands weren't built for combat, after all.

Silently, he writhed about, clutching his hand and staggering around, the different phases of pain playing across his face. Watching the fight, Nazz couldn't help but snicker behind her hands at his hopping little dance.

Recovering, the soldier glanced up as Edd was leaned against the wall, smothering any cries of pain behind biting lips. Seeing these futile attempts to save face, the man laughed a bitter laugh.

"That all you got, you little punk?" he chortled, rubbing his chin smugly. "Barely left a scratch!"

Edd was then caught off guard by a hard kick to the side of his face, knocking him against the wall. Nazz cried out at the brutish attack.

"_Double D!_"

Halfway collapsed, Edd dizzily sat up, facing away towards the wall. He groaned, spitting up a few wads of dark blood onto the concrete floor.

"Hehehehe..." the guard chuckled lowly, his grand shadow looming over his prey. "I'd better watch myself. I could kill _you_ if I'm not careful. Vull wants you alive, after all. Why for, I dunno."

Nazz gasped in horror when the man grabbed a chunk of Edd's jet black hair, igniting another grunt of pain, and tugged the boy to his feet. Seething deeply, Edd glared through all his hurt as his head was jerked up to face the soldier's sick, twisted smirk.

"Lemme fill you in on something," he breathed through clenched teeth, yanking him a bit more into submission. "These fancy-pants superpowers you got... they mean _nothing_. You know why? 'Cause you're just a _**kid**_," he spat at him, gaining a cringe in return. "A measly, whiny, puny little kid. You don't know _squat_ about the real world, so you think you're gonna win all the time. Well, guess what: _**you're not**_. Whadda you think about _that?_"

At those cruel, _true_ words, Edd could only downcast his gaze, appearing discouraged. Nazz wanted to scream out to him, tell him none of it was true, but she found herself unable to speak up. She despised her sudden shot of helplessness.

"...you're right," Edd softly replied. "We'll _never_ be victorious every time... I've already failed those close to me more than once." A difficult pause. "...and I'm well aware there are many things I don't know..."

Then, unbelievably, a smirk. "But a good friend of mine told me I shouldn't be afraid of what I don't know. To roll with the punches and hope for the best." He chuckled in irony. "As it turns out, it was my own hesitation, not my lack of strength, that had been hindering me."

Not believing what the child was saying, the soldier's grin fell, whereas Nazz regained hers.

"...besides... there is _one_ thing I know..."

Below him, she saw his hand tightly clench into a fist, a force field pulsing around it.

"...I'm here to rescue her..." The smirk dropped away as Edd turned his gaze up, glaring darkly. "...and trying to stop me was a big mistake."

The cocky soldier never saw it coming. All he caught sight of was an aquamarine glow before an impeccable force slammed into his face. He was unconscious before he crashed into the lunch tray, smashing it to pieces.

Absolute silence followed the abrupt end to the match. Slowly, Nazz approached Edd, who was busy staring in disbelief at his fallen opponent, still holding a fist from the end of the blow.

"...Double D?"

Coming back to himself, Edd straightened up, gazing first at his hand, then at her. "...Did I just do that?"

Nazz found herself laughing. "You sure did! You okay?"

"I...I think so..." Experimentally, he moved his jaw back and forth; still sore from that kick, but still aligned. Only a split bottom lip added to his list of injuries. "But how...? I did it without thinking."

"There was a force field, around your hand," Nazz pointing out, gesturing in a circle while holding up his wrist. "I guess you made it to soften the blow on yourself when you were punching, but..."

Nazz didn't have to finish. Edd had already figured it out, tightening another fist before him. The gesture itself created another type of focal point, and the force field that appeared framed it symmetrically.

"...but if upon impact, the outgoing force is greater then the incoming force of the object..." he muttered to himself, slowly looking up at the knocked-out soldier. "...then the blow is that much more powerful."

"Guess that saves you from going to the gym, right?"

Edd burst into open laughter from the joke. After all the heaviness, it felt good to hear a light comment.

He turned to Nazz to tell her so, but paused when he was presented with his beloved beanie.

"He dropped it during the fight," she explained a bit shyly, holding it out to him. "...didn't want you to forget it."

Touched, Edd smiled. "Barely noticed it was missing." Reverently, he took hold of it, his hands briefly lingering on hers. "Thank you."

Nazz nodded as she drew away, allowing him to fix himself up. As he pulled his hair back, she idly glanced down at the guard and her scattered meal. With emotional reunions and formalities over with, she suddenly remembered the root of her previous anxieties.

"...Double D... something's not right about this place."

"Mmn?" Edd paused in his task, glancing up. His hat was clasped in his teeth to leave his hands free.

"You've been sneaking around the school, right? Have you seen any other Super Children, at all?"

"...uh-uh," he shook his head no.

"See? Too weird, am I right?"

Edd nodded in agreement, holding his locks up with one hand and retrieving his hat with the other. "We've had suspicions from the start..." he muttered, tugging the cap up and over. "...and the condition of this so-called 'school' isn't helping."

"Right... not even the soldiers know what's going on. They're an army-for-hire, you know that?"

Edd looked up sharply, face contorted in confusion. "What? You mean like a trained group of mercenaries?"

"Something like that. There're even areas the guards aren't allowed to patrol." Nazz paused, meeting his gaze levelly. "Vull's got something to hide. I know it."

"I wouldn't deny that," he replied, reaching in under the rear of his cap. "May I ask who your informant was?"

Nazz couldn't help but smirk. "That Commander Dreadnaught guy. Turns out he's not a big fan of his boss either."

"Can't imagine why." Edd returned the wily grin, curling out the strands of hair that usually poked out from behind. "Stockholm syndrome, much?"

"Just trying to be helpful." After soft chuckles, things grew serious again. "Look, point is, something's going on, and I don't think it's smart to be hanging around longer than we have to."

"I agree," Edd nodded firmly. "The plan was to grab you and escape as quickly as possible."

"Then we should get going."

"Right." Edd approached the door, once more offering her hand to her. "Stick close to me."

Nazz smiled, taking it tenderly. "...you got it."

With that, the two disappeared and stepped out into the hallway. Edd led the way, with Nazz learning by example and mimicking his quiet steps.

Making sure the coast was clear before doing so, she spoke close to his ear, barely above an inaudible whisper.

"Quick question. Where're the other two?"

"They went down a separate hallway, towards the classrooms." He waited for a guard to pass by, out of earshot, before continuing. "I wish there was a way to contact them, but we're to meet back at the Hall of Supers and depart from there."

"Got it." Even so, she grew worried. "I hope they're okay."

"As do I." Before they went quiet, Edd quickly added, "They're pretty resourceful, though. I wouldn't be surprised if they stumbled on something big."

----------

It didn't seem big at first. Reaching one of the many dead ends in the Classroom Wing of the academy, the pair was confronted by- you guessed it -another door. Although, this one was actually different. It was larger than the other doors, steel-plated, and marked with an imposing sign.

"'_Authorized Personnel Only,_'" Eddy read aloud, painstakingly slow. He brought a hand to his chin with an exaggerated thoughtful expression. "Hmm... big words!" He turned a smirk up to his companion. "What do you think they mean, Ed?"

"Ooh! I know this one!" Ed brightened up, proud to interpret. "'If you're unauthorized, you're not allowed to go in!'"

Eddy frowned, disappointed by Ed's lack of creativity. Until the oaf flashed him his own smirk.

"...'but you should anyways.'"

Then Eddy grinned. That was more like it. "Now, _that_ makes sense to me!" He shot Ed a pointing finger of approval. "I like the way you think."

Ed beamed. "Then I should do it more often!"

"Just don't hurt yourself." As he took hold of the doorknob, which was unlocked, the joke was over, and the two shushed each other multiple times before Eddy carefully pulled the door open and looked inside.

"...what's in there, Eddy?" Ed softly hissed.

"Darkness. Again." Slowly, he stepped into the dark room, with Ed following close behind. "Y'know, for a 'well-distinguished academy,' they didn't really think to spend much on _lighting_ the place that well."

Ed silently nodded. _How can students read books in pitch-blackness?_ he wondered to himself. His old school wasn't the best in the world, but he could always count on the fluorescent lights brightening up the hallways. Then again, this same school didn't look like a haunted castle, either. Made it far less creepy.

Ed found himself becoming extremely uncomfortable, lost in the darkness of the tiny room. His knees weren't bumping anything, except Eddy once or twice ("_Ow!_ Watch it, Lumpy!"), but he did eventually walk straight into a wall. The sound it made when he hit it, however, didn't seem to match cold stone. It was more like a muffled boom, as if he had collided with thick glass.

"...Eddy!" Ed whispered quickly, placing his hands on the smooth surface. "C'mere! I think I found a window!"

"A what?" Eddy walked into him before finding his way and touching it himself. "...huh. It _is_ a window. Where to, though?"

Their answer was a bright flash of light that suddenly beamed in from this other room, harsh on their dim-accustomed eyeballs. Yelping, they turned away to shield their eyes, nearly falling on top of each other in the process.

"Ow...!" Ed moaned, looking away. "W-what's going on??"

"Nngh...!" Climbing atop the oaf, Eddy clawed at the edge of the window, pulling himself up to get a good look. He was squinting at first, but one glance inside and his eyes bulged as wide as dinner plates.

The portal led into an enormous chamber, one that droned in the buzz of artificial light. Its source stood in the dead center of the realm, the inspiration behind Eddy's fear and confusion.

"...W...What the...?" He was shocked to find himself short of breath. "What the heck _is_ that!?"

Glancing up, Ed gasped dramatically and proclaimed, "It's the _Tomb of the Molten Squid from 'Bionic Invertebrates of the Deep Vol. 3, __**The Collector's Issue!!!!**_"

The overwhelming sense of dread lapsed for a few seconds, an awkward pause in which Ed grinned sheepishly at Eddy's weird look.

"...well... that's what it _looks_ like."

"...Whatever." Eddy turned away, sighing. _Should've seen that coming a mile away._

Then again, Ed's reference wasn't too far off: a rough rock formation hung from the ceiling, like a beehive, and a large stone, flashing multiple colors, illuminated its hollowed innards. Spotlights were suspended on the coned tip, the source of the bright lights, and tentacle-like tubes, pulsing with energy, ran down from the grotesque structure into a metal platform, dreadfully contrasting, but not at the same time. A group of cylinders rose up from the platform, and as its transparent frontal face showed, they were each connected by glowing pipes, all leading back to the outer tubes.

The possible functions of this horrifying contraption was genuinely _scaring_ Eddy senseless. Was this the big secret, the big climatic revealing they were looking for?

What scared Ed, however, is what he point out. "...Eddy... l-look...!"

Eddy looked indeed, and he paled when he realized that there was someone there to demonstrate.

At last, it was a kid, maybe their age, perhaps younger. His arms were trapped within one of the cylinders, and he struggled to pull away from his prison, whimpering. His untamed mop of silver hair nearly covered his tear-filled eyes.

"Non! Non! S'il vous plaît!" he seemed to beg to an unseen captor. It was hard for Eddy to tell, as the boy was obviously speaking another language. Spanish? French? Like he could tell. "_S'il vous plaît!_"

"Ne protestez pas, petit garçon," replied an all-too-familiar voice, laced with its usual paternal madness. "Vous ne serez pas faits du mal... Les pouvoirs pris et le corps se sont transformés en peinture, peut-être, mais pas ont fait du mal."

"Non! _Non!_"

But his pleas fell on deaf ears. An ominous click, and the dreaded machine roared to life.

The boy screamed in unimaginable pain as his body began to glow a bright yellow, pulsing with pure energy. That energy lit up the pipes it was drained into, like a liquid flowing through a mad scientist's test tubes, up into the great stalactite above his head. The ochre light mixed with the thousands of other colors in the rapidly-spinning diamond inside. The brighter it grew, the dimmer the boy became, his pallor fading into a sickly grey...

...or was he becoming see-through?

"...Eddy..." Ed breathed, his face frozen in horror. "He... he's disappearing!"

"...oh my god...!"

Growing more transparent by the second, the boy groaned, losing strength as his knees buckled beneath him. He slumped over his prison with barely a sound before he completely vanished in a tiny flutter of sparkles.

"Wh...wha..." Eddy wasn't believing what he was seeing. "...what the heck's... what just _happened!?_"

Ed was nearly speechless, tears awashing his face in fear. "...I... I-I think he was absorbed... into the stone up there."

But just when they thought the terrible deed was done, the machine was still humming, still working through the final step in its process. A slit in the platform they couldn't see from their angle buzzed open, and from it rose a dark, flat shape. A flash of a spotlight revealed what it was.

A painting of the boy that had just disappeared.

The color drained from Ed and Eddy's faces until their skin tones of yellow and pink were near-identical.

Clacking footsteps echoed through the cavern as the machine died down and went back to rest. A figure appeared from the shadows behind the painting, his hand resting atop the fancy frame, spinning it around to allow him a look at it. The laugh that followed was painfully familiar, but now clearly curled hairs with an air of maliciousness.

"That's my Skylark team completed," he noted to himself. "All that's left is to add three little Eds to my collection."

Ed's heart leaped into his throat, while Eddy's plummeted into his shoes.

Silently, they looked at each other. Nothing needed to be said. Ed grabbed on and Eddy was off like a shot. Forget caution, they needed to get out and they needed to get out _now_.

In their haste, they completely disregarded the soldier at the doorway they sped past. But he didn't give chase. He was too busy gawking in disbelief.

Only a few seconds of consideration later did he run off, but in the opposite direction.

----------

"Careful..."

"S-sorry... I keep stepping on you..."

"It's alright... Guess I just have to speed up."

It was tricky, Edd was realizing, to escort someone who wasn't used to invisibility. His eyes were slowly tuning to the smallest distortions, so he could see the general shape of Nazz's form behind him. He assumed she couldn't do the same, judging by the accidental shoves and kicks to the back of his ankles.

"...ouch...!"

"Ahh! Sorry!"

"Shh!"

"I-I... I can't do this Double D...!"

Edd froze, receiving another bump from behind. Sensing the apprehension in her trembling voice, he looked up and down the corridor, making sure the hallway was clear before he turned back to her, taking her hands in his. He materialized them both so she could take comfort in his concerned face.

"Nazz..." he softly breathed to her. "...shh, Nazz, calm down..."

"I..." she sobbed, shaking. "...I'm scared..."

"I know, I know..." Edd brought her closer, tenderly touching foreheads. "Me too, trust me. We'll escape this place together, I promise, but I need you to _work_ with me."

"B-but I can't...!"

"Come now, that's crazy talk." Briefly, he smiled to himself. Eddy _was_ rubbing off on him, most definitely. "Like you said, you waited all this time for me. I need you to be strong for just a little while longer, okay?"

"I... okay."

He waited patiently for her to calm herself down, giving her a slight hug for security. He then looked up again, freezing on the spot.

_...oh, drat._

Preoccupied with comforting Nazz, Edd had been too distracted to notice anyone else approaching as sternly as he did before. And now they both faced another soldier, standing directly in their path and heaving haggard breaths as if he had run a great distance just to find _them_. Invisibility was useless now; he had already spotted them.

Edd internally cursed his own carelessness before stepping in front of Nazz protectively. He had taken out one of these brutes, surely he could do it again.

But the man surprised him by raising his hands up defensively, still catching his breath.

"Relax, kid," he wheezed. "I'm not here to pick a fight."

Properly confused, Edd could only stare strangely at the soldier before Nazz peeked out over his shoulder and exclaimed, "Dreadnaught??"

"Huh?" Edd repeatedly glanced between the two. "Dreadnaught? As in the _Commander_ Dreadnaught?"

"Yeah, that's me," the man replied, straightening up with a forbidding look on his aged face. "Listen, you're in serious danger right now."

"No kidding."

"...What's going on, Dreadnaught?" Nazz firmly questioned.

"Your buddies found out what's been going on. I would've caught 'em, but... I saw it too." He visibly shivered in disgust. "It's... twisted."

"Twisted?" Edd anxiously furrowed his brow. "What do you...?"

"Just tell us what's going _on!_" Nazz demanded.

"Dammit, there's no _time_ for that!" The two jumped slightly at the sudden change in temper. He was quickly losing his patience. "You brats have to get out of here, _**now!**_"

Edd wrinkled his nose at the 'brat' comment, then narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "...And what makes you think we can trust your words?"

"I'm not _asking_ you to," Dreadnaught growled, becoming irritated. "I'm just trying to do the right thing, alright!? I'll even try to keep everybody outta your way. I can't guarantee that, though, 'cause Vull's got the final say in where my soldiers go."

Keeping a firm, distrusting glare, Edd was quietly in conflict. For all he knew, the commander might as well have been telling the truth; he clearly wasn't going to hurt them, after all, at least not at the moment. But the last time he gave someone a little rope, his love interest was kidnapped and he was shocked with thousands of volts. And he was _still_ aching from that.

"_**SIR!!**_"

All three jumped at the multiple footsteps approaching down the hall. Quickly, Dreadnaught motioned for the pair to get behind him and disappear. A small group of soldiers marched around the corner, halting before their seemingly alone commanding officer.

"Commander Dreadnaught, _SIR!_" their leader greeted with the tightest salute ever, as if he had been practicing it.

Raising a brow, Dreadnaught slowly returned it. "Status report...?"

"Sir! We've just received general orders from Lord Vull to capture the Super Children that have infiltrated the academy, _sir!_" he rushed out in one breath.

Dreadnaught hesitated, but it safely came off as shock. "...they got it?" he feigned surprise.

"Yes, sir! Right under our noses!"

Sighing deeply, he faked the appearance of a bruised ego extremely well. "...understood."

"What are your orders, sir??"

Dreadnaught thought carefully about this, feeling the kids' presence over his shoulder. "...investigate the hostage's holding. That's probably where they're headed. If she's already gone, report back to me. Understood?"

"Yes, _sir!_"

"Before that, tell me, are there other units dispatched throughout the academy?"

"Yes, _sir!_"

"And would you stop that? It's really annoying."

"Yes, _sir!_"

The commander rolled his eyes as he directed them forward, giving them clearance to proceed. He watched them thunder down the hall, waiting at least five Mississippi's after their footsteps stopped echoing across the walls.

"...if you're still here," he spoke into the open air. "...well, I _wouldn't_ be. Get out as quickly as possible."

He didn't need to tell them that, apparently. Judging by the lack of answer, they probably had that figured out a while ago.

Dreadnaught smirked, appreciating the bout of common sense, before heading down another hallway in a convincing run of a diligent soldier.

----------

Suddenly much more motivated, the pair dashed though the school, hand in hand. Caution was abandoned as time grew short, their encounters with soldiers becoming more and more frequent. Thankfully, invisibility kept them safe, but the gun they were al toting were intimidating nonetheless.

"Double D..."

"Shh..." Edd hushed gently, glancing around the corner. "Don't lose heart on me now."

"No, not that," Nazz effectively caught his attention. "...do you think Ed and Eddy are...?"

"...they're fine," he confidently replied, leading her swiftly down the hall. "Considering Eddy's speed and what they apparently witnessed, I won't be surprised if they're already in the Hall of Supers, waiting for us."

"Oh... we should pick up the pace, then, huh?"

Edd replied by indeed increasing his speed, tugging her along. She quickly compensated.

When it was safe again, Edd spoke up, "Now I have a question for _you_." He paused. "...do you think Commander Dreadnaught is someone we can trust?"

"...yeah." Her confidence reflected his. "He's rude, but not a bad guy. And I think he hates Vull more than we do."

A light chuckle. "Let's hope so...ah! I know this place! We're almost there!"

Crossing the familiar four-way intersection, their hopes of successfully escaping peaked as they ran towards the exit. Reaching the grand door, they shoved it open and stumbled into the Hall of Supers. An eerie shade of orange and red bathed the walls and portraits, as dusk had fallen over the island. The dark, macabre-esque lighting left a stench of foreshadowing in the air.

"_Double D!_"

Edd grinned with relief as they turned to face his comrades, who had previously been hiding behind a pillar as a precaution. They rushed up quickly, and the two pairs were reunited in a flurry of laughs, hugs, and pats on the back.

"Good, you two made it!"

"Just _barely!_"

"Hooray! You found Nazz!"

"Oh wow, it's so great to see you guys!"

"Okay, _good!_" Eddy was erratically bounding up and down in desperate anxiety. "Now let's _go!_ Hurry!"

"Wait! Eddy!" Edd took hold of his wrist before he could speed off. "What'd you see? What's going on!?"

"Gckchck, th-th-there's no _time_, Double D!!" Eddy sputtered, grabbing both of Edd's arms in return. "This whole thing's a _trap!_"

Edd's blood ran cold. "...a... t-trap?"

"_Yes!_ Everything! The school, the tests, the paintings...!"

"A m-ma-machine...!" Ed bawled, genuinely terrified out of his mind. "Vull's got a machine...!"

"A machine...!?"

"_What_ is going _**on!?**_" Nazz demanded for the umpteenth time.

"Vull only wants our powers, we gotta get out of here!"

"Wait, _what!?_ Wait! Eddy, _**wait!**_"

Driven by the primal fear of trapped prey, Eddy had broken off and dashed for the front entrance.

But even with his fast feet, he would never reach it.

"_Fire!!_"

_KR__**ZAP!!**_

"_AGHHHHH!!_"

"_EDDY!_"

It happened way too fast to comprehend. Bolts of electricity lashed out from every dark crevice imaginable, all striking the fleeing Super Child of Speed dead on. Shrieking in terrible pain, he lost his footing, tripping and tumbling down the Hall of Supers a long, long distance. He collapsed in a smoky mess, losing consciousness a second later.

"_E...__**Eddy!!**_"

"Ed, _no! NGYAHAAAH!!!_"

"_**DOUBLE D!!**_"

Mass hysteria was suffocating the air as Ed rushed for his fallen buddy, Edd tried to hold him back, and both were hit with the dreaded laser meant especially for them. They convulsed and howled and staggered about, the whole room spinning as the soldiers began emerging from the shadows.

"Come now, boys. Did you honestly think I was going to simply _let _you escape?"

Groaning in disoriented anger, Ed dizzily swung a fist at one of the men of military in self-defense, missing entirely, losing his balance, and crashing to the floor.

"You've had a good run, but it's time to give in."

The haunting chuckle echoed though the hall, scaring Nazz stiff and giving more soldiers a chance to grab her from behind. "N..._NO!_" Adamantly, she tossed and turned and tried so hard to break from their clutches, but to no avail. They were simply too strong. "Let _GO! AGH!_"

Her shouting reached Edd's ringing ears as he swayed to and fro, every fiber in his body numb and burning hot. Through double vision, he glanced up at her and deep down was torn at the sight of the one he cared most about, the one he promised to protect, being taken away from him once again.

_Curse it all... Nazz... I'm sorry... I can't win...every...ti...me..._

"_**NO!!**_" Nazz cried out as Edd fell forward and hit the ground, landing just before her feet. She kicked and pulled and struggled as her captors only tugged her away.

"_No! __**No!!**__ Ed! Eddy! __**Double D!!**_"

None of them answered. The three superpowered children were sprawled across the floor, lying limply and in wait for the soldiers that approached their prone forms. The noisy panic had died down to be replaced by a silence of defeat, and their hopes of escape diminished with it.

Unable to break free and not knowing what else to do, Nazz let out all her frustration though a low, enraged scream. It echoed on well after she was finished, slumping and breathing hard in dry sobs.

"My word! Quite the pair of _lungs_ you have!"

Nazz refused to bring her gaze up to look at him. She fiercely turned away when the tail of his coat lashing around his dress shoes come into her downcast view.

"Why so upset? You got what I promised you... A chance to see them one last time."

"...y...you..." she could barely manage to force out.

"I must admit, they played the game well." His tone grew considerably darker. "...but I always win in the end. Besides, their stubbornness was beginning to irritate me."

"W...why...?"

"Hmm?"

"_**Why!?**_" she screeched, tears leaking from her tightly shut eyes. "You _JERK!_ What do you _**want!?**_"

The man gave off another chuckle, smooth as a sharpened sword. "You'll find _that_ out soon enough."

Then, much to her disgust, a gloved hand took hold of her chin, directing her raging scowl up to meet Vull's grin. It was the kind of reassuring grin a butcher gives to a cow, accompanied with a 'don't worry, this will only hurt for a second.'

"Don't fret, lass. We'll all get what we want in the end."

He drew away in time to allow her another glimpse at her fallen rescuers, each being heaved into a soldier's strong arms with little care. They looked so vulnerable, so meek...

...especially...

Nazz's heart crumbled at the sight of Edd, limp and frail as a ragdoll in comparison to the brute handling him. An expression of deep pain, and possibly regret, was frozen on his face, still battered and bruised from before. All the toil and trouble he and his companions went though... only to fall right into the enemy's trap.

Unable to bear the sight, Nazz dropped her gaze once more and wept as the Eds were carried past her.

It wasn't fair. They were so darn close.

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A/N: ...and here we end with another cliffhanger! LOL! XD I'm so terrible. Don't worry, all of Vull's VERY complex plan will be explained in the next chapter. I know it's complex because I had to outline the entire conversation ahead of time. XD If it's one thing I hate, it's plotholes; gotta tie all those loose ends together! In the meantime, while I sort that out, please review!


	16. Power Hungry

A/N: Okay, look. I know it's been four months since this last got updated. Schoolwork, Solar Eclipse, and a billion other things have distracted my attention away from it. Didn't help that I hit several snags when writing this chapter. I just finished it last night.

But I will tell you RIGHT now, screaming at me and yelling at me and badgering me did not make me go any faster, nor will it ever in the future. Unless you're my professor or employer, paying me with a grade or a paycheck to meet a deadline, you can wait as long as it takes. This stuff doesn't take me a couple of nights, as you can tell. So if you could just be respectful to me, I'd appreciate that.

For the rest of you that didn't bother me about an update, thanks a ton for waiting! Sorry it took me a long time, but this turned into a long, complicated chapter. So let's get it underway, shall we??

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Chapter 16: Power-Hungry

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By now, Edd was used to awaking with massive migraines. He'd find it strange if he _didn't_ feel sick and dizzy from a pounding cranium upon regaining consciousness.

Though his took his time in becoming alert, there were things he noticed right off the bat. First off, he knew he wasn't laying down on a flat surface. Judging by the distribution of weight in his flaccid body, it felt like he was slumped forward on top of... something. Slowly, he began to sit up; of course, his neck and upper back were sore from the horrible sleeping position, triggering a slight hiss between clenched teeth.

Halfway up, he noticed a second oddity when his progress was involuntarily halted. Looking down, he found his arms partly submerged inside a metallic cylinder; they got stuck at his knobby elbows, unable to pass the tiny portal. It was hollow, as he was able to move around his arms inside of it, but he couldn't fully pull out.

Numbly considering this, Edd came to the conclusion that this was his current imprisonment. It must've been tailored for one like him with abnormal abilities, for any attempts he made at creating force fields were nullified, preventing escape.

_...Fantastic._

Hearing grunts and whines on either side of him, he creaked his neck slowly back and forth, getting a rough idea of his surroundings. Ed was to his right and Eddy was to his left, struggling to tug away from the same type of mechanism he was trapped in. No matter how rapid Eddy revved his feet, he couldn't seem to pull away, collapsing at the end of every burst of raging energy before trying again and again. Ed simply kept tugging, dislocating his arms a couple of times before he gave in, throwing his comrades a tear-filled glance of pure terror.

"W...we're next...!" he whimpered cryptically.

"Next for _what?!_" Edd's former confusion turned into irritation as a result of their current predicament. "No one has informed me on _anything_ that's been happening!"

"Patience, Eddward... I thought that was your strongest suit."

All three straightened up at that bone-chilling voice. Looking up, Ed cowered, Eddy groaned, and Edd put on the darkest glare.

Way above the metal platform they were held captive on, a balcony jutted out from the wall, holding glowing control panels and the further glowing face of their by-now worst enemy. As far as the trio could agree on, this crafty, manipulative, quietly arrogant old bat was worse than Sarah, Kevin, and the Kanker sisters all rolled up into one.

"...Vuu_uuuulllll...!_" Eddy growled dangerously.

"Y-you big _jerk!_" Ed cried out.

"Now, now..." Vull took on his typical tone of empty comfort, aggravating them to no end. "Don't get all sour when _you_ were the ones who chose to come all this way."

"_What!?_"

"You _made_ us," Edd deeply murmured through clenched teeth.

Vull replied with a small gasp of mock realization. "Ah... I _did_, didn't I? It was quite easy, playing off the things you value most."

Subtly reaching back, he brought forward the object of value he was speaking of into view. Edd briefly broke his scowl upon seeing her face.

"_Nazz!!_"

"Double D!" she cried, tugged back slightly. Judging by her hunched-forward posture, it appeared she had her hands tied behind her back, for security purposes.

"Let her go, Vull!" Eddy demanded.

"Oh, don't worry, I will." Nazz backed away when the creep ruffled her hair. "My men will take her home after your conversions are finished... with her memory modified, of course. I can't let a story like this get around, now can I?"

Nazz gawked in horror. "_No!!_"

"You twisted fiend!" Edd bellowed. "What do you _want_ from us!? What do you mean by 'conversions'!?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Vull honestly questioned. "Look around you." They each did so as he continued talking, fearful eyes running along the components of the machine. "This beautiful contraption was built for me alongside my multitude of gadgets; I commissioned top-notch researchers for every aspect of my project, and this Power Converter you're hooked up to is their best work.

"You probably can't see it from your angle, but above you rests a Power Diamond, an artificial mineral capable of absorbing and storing abnormal energies. The only organisms that posses such a type of energy are Super Children. So, basically, the Converter extracts the energy from their bodies and stores them inside the Diamond for further use later. Of course, something has to be done with the Child's physical elements once the energy has left them, so they're lovingly converted into oils that paint a wonderful portrait in their image."

That left Edd's wide-eyed gaze trailing back up to a delighted Vull, his own expression of bewilderment contrasting. "W...what on...?"

"I-it's true, Double D!"

"Yeah, we saw another kid get turned into a painting by this thing!"

His friends' confirmations only amplified the sick feeling brewing in Edd's gut. "So... th-the Hall of S-Supers... they're all..."

"Precisely," Vull smirked, relishing the utter look of disgust that crossed the youth's face. "And soon enough, you three will be added to my gallery."

"But, _w-why?_" Ed whined desperately.

"Yeah! What're you gonna do with our powers??" Eddy angrily questioned.

At this, Vull oddly blinked in confusion. "You're asking me to unveil the workings of my plan in its entirety?"

"_Duh!_" Nazz spat. "I think we're all pretty sick and tired of all your half-stories!"

"Think of all the readers at home, Lord Vull!" Ed pleaded, gaining strange looks from everyone else. Far away, a gentle crack formed inside the fourth wall.

"Hmm... well, alright, then." Surprisingly, Vull submitted, chuckling. "What's the harm, after all? You're powerless to stop me." He flashed a smile the girl's way, ignoring her face of revulsion and facing the Eds again. "Actually, I had already begun to tell Nazz the story... well... half of it, at least."

She rolled her eyes. Half a story. Go figure.

"Explain," Edd urged him on.

"I told her that I was born into an 'extended family'," he began, smirking to himself at the memory. "...which is partly true. It is a family somewhat built on blood relations, but extended by such things as contracts... certain connections... negotiations, sometimes... and even deception." Finally, above his crafty, entwined fingers, his grin showed its full maliciousness. "It's a risky business, but well worth the payoff."

"Oh. My. God."

This time, it would be Eddy to figure out the riddle in Vull's honeyed words. Edd shot his gaping friend a look.

"What? What's he talking about?"

Shaking his head in disbelief, Eddy exasperatedly elaborated, "When he says 'extended family,' plus all that other stuff he mentioned, he's talking about a _crime syndicate_. Like the Sopranos. He's saying he's inside his area's crime ring."

Edd mirrored his gawk of realization.

"So, wait... Vull's a _criminal?_" Ed gasped.

"My, do you boys catch on quick!" Vull applauded, disregarding a completely appalled Nazz beside him. "Yes, it's true. Nurible Inc. was once the majority faction in Europe's main crime ring. Those grouped with us were partners... as well as competition. Many members of them happened to be Super Children; you can imagine how easy it was for them to climb the ranks with such abilities."

"But _you_ didn't get them, did you?" Eddy put on an empty pout of sympathy, reciting the cliché motivation. "And you got jealous and decided to start taking them out yourself."

"Actually, someone else did that job for me," Vull cut in, surprising them, as he turned his smirk down to Edd. "Do you, perhaps, know the incident I'm referring to, Eddward?"

The researched youth had to think on it for a second, the shock slowly blooming on his face. "...the massacre of '85..."

"Huh?"

He turned to Eddy, brows narrowed in regret. "Back in 1985, there was a massacre of Super Children across Europe. The murders were carried out by a religious organization called the Tribunal. Believed out powers were given to by the devil or whatever nonsense."

"Aw, man!" Ed moaned. "There's a religious cult like that in every sci-fi! They're so annoying!"

"Yes, well..." Vull veered the explanation back his way. "As it turns out, all the main crime lords, the ones that controlled the syndicate, were Super Children that would become a hefty portion of the death toll. Once they were out of the picture..." He chuckled, fanning out his fingers in bliss. "...business in Nurible Inc. flourished."

"Well, then, what's the _problem!?_" Eddy exclaimed, growing incredibly confused. "If they're gone and you're gettin' the success you wanted, then why are you taking _our_ powers?!"

Vull sighed, half in exasperation, half in pity. "My, my, Eddy. You don't think that far ahead, do you?"

"No. He doesn't," Edd briefly stuck in his two-cents, gaining a glare from Eddy. "He's always had that issue."

"Well, in case you weren't aware, Super Child powers are not hereditary. If they were, Super Children would've died out a long time ago. When a Child passes on, their specific power becomes available to activate within a random member of the following generation. You will never meet a Super Child with your exact powers within your lifetime... but those powers will always be recycled."

Edd's eyes narrowed intensely. "And why let those powers fall into the hands of future competitors... right?"

"I... I get it," Nazz breathed, gaping at her captor. "You're bringing them here to collect their powers... not really killing them, so they don't get passed on."

Eddy rolled his eyes, finishing, "...and you'll keep them all to yourself to keep control of the syndicate."

A classy grin and slow nod was Vull's only answer.

"_Un_believable," Edd groaned.

"S-s-so..." Ed was trying so very hard to keep up, distracted by fearful tears. "Th-the school's... not real?"

"Of _course_ not, you simpleton." Their guts wrenched. Others insulted Ed's intelligence all the time, but hearing it from the spiteful old man made all three of his friends boil in rage. Vull ignored their scowling, examining his nails. "The Hall of Supers Academy story developed overtime as the preliminary pieces of the plan began to fall together.

"I tapped into all the resources at my disposal. The researchers I mentioned earlier were former Tribunal scientists, the original brilliant minds that discovered the electromagnetic pulses that reacted to your abnormal energies. This led to the first use of these concentrated blasts, what they called the Holy Lasers, to subdue Super Children during the Massacre."

Internally, Edd shivered, deeply disturbed by how destructive science had become in this case.

"Originally, I had commissioned them to mass-produce these lasers while I met with Army-For-Hire contractors within our circle. But the delightfully surprised me by taking their research one step further and using the same concentrations to produce the Power Diamond above you, the initial inspiration for the harvesting of powers. Add that to all the wonderful innovations they concocted for me, which I used to communicate with you and all my other victims... they were a valuable asset to the operation."

"Okay, fine, whatever," Nazz interrupted his moment of rapture, getting back on track. "What about this whole 'Army-For-Hire' stuff? Who were the contractors, and why would _anyone_ give a lunatic like you an entire army??"

"Wow," Eddy whistled, impressed. "Good question."

"It's as I said before," Vull replied without wavering. "You play off of people's desires and fears. All of the contractors..." A smirk. "...were Super Children."

"_Nooo..._" Edd gawked.

"_**What!?**_" Eddy was hopelessly lost. "I thought all the ones in your ring got _killed!_"

"Ones that awakened during and after the Massacre, mind you," Vull added. "I knew I needed the brute force to track down all the superpowered youths, and I needed to give the contractors a good reason for granting it to me." A low, amused chuckle. "So I gave them the details of my plan and guaranteed them amnesty from the same fate if they were to provide me with the manpower I needed." His glowing grin sent shivers all up and down their spines. "Needless to say, they signed the papers right away. They even graciously funded the construction of the Academy and the entire island, helping me create the glorious geography you had traversed."

Eddy smirked mirthlessly. "And let me guess. When you're done with us, those losers are next on the list, right?"

"But of course," Vull nodded, somewhat bitterly. "A just fate for those who sell out their own kind... right?"

"...There's no _way_," Edd firmly denied, shaking his head. "...that you would be able to get away with this for _fifteen years_."

"_Especially_ with your reputation," Nazz concurred.

"Oh, please," Vull dismissed. "A crime lord never reveals his face... unless he doesn't plan on letting anyone live." He chuckled at his own twisted sense of humor. "Of _course_ the name of Vull Nurible Inc. would've been suspicious. Nothing a simple name change wouldn't solve."

Just then, Edd cocked his head slightly in realization, and a smirk crossed his face. "_Right_. Because Vull Stalwart sounds more appropriate for an all-powerful crime lord, you mean."

"...Why, yes, it does." Vull's fleeting grin quickly drooped. "...you little smart-ass."

"_Oh,_ I get it now!" Ed suddenly bleated, laughing. "'Cause he would be _vulnerable!_"

"Aaaaahahaha! Aw, _man!_" Getting the pun, for once, Eddy joined in, with Edd grinning slyly between them. "That's _awesome!_ You can't make stuff up like that, man!"

Nazz thoroughly enjoyed the look of pained annoyance that Vull did a pretty terrible job at hiding. But there were still questions that needed to be answered.

"Okay... care to explain how all this turned into a fake school for Super Children?"

"Gladly," Vull tightly replied, glaring downwards. "...once your puerile friends are quite finished."

It took some time for the chuckles to wind down, and the chamber reached an ominous silence before Vull resumed.

"Alright, then... the Hall of Supers evolved as a cover-up story to lure away suspicion, as did the academy itself. As you can guess, I got the idea from the portraification process of the Power Converter. People bought the story, and I've used it to reel in Super Children one by one. Some, like yourselves, needed more persuasion than others. But the methods didn't matter, as long as they ended up on my gallery wall."

"Whoa, hey, wait just a minute!" Eddy barked. "Are you sure capturing us was _all_ you were trying to do?"

Vull genuinely blinked. "...I'm not following."

"The testing," Edd elaborated in a low voice, still sore from all the trials and regrets. "I can understand the lockdown, as well as the infiltration of the academy itself." His gaze fell. "...I'll admit we got over-confident and lowered our guard... but what about the sentries?"

"Yeah! And the guided missile!"

"And the giant mutant plant thing!"

Edd nodded to his two compadres. "Those things could've very well _killed_ us. We'd be no use to you if we were dead."

"Don't think I'm not aware of that!" They were all surprised by his sudden snap. He cleared his throat in attempts to save face. "With your abilities, none of those tests would've killed you. Heavily injure, perhaps, but not kill. As I said, the methods don't matter, whether you're brought back in one or several pieces, as long as you're still _alive_. Besides, the Power Diamond has already absorbed the power of healing, so any serious injuries would've been taken care of before the conversion."

"Well, at _least you care!_" Eddy hollered.

"You sick freak," Nazz growled, unable to hold back any longer. "You're the most selfish and disgusting man I've ever met!" His lack of a reaction only angered her further. "You promised all those kids a safe haven!"

"Well, now, _that_ I didn't lie about." Once again surfaced that caring, paternal tone, but by now they could all tell there was nothing behind it. "This _is_ a safe haven for Super Children... one where they're sealed away from the judgmental populace... it's surely better than suffering the pains of discrimination themselves, is it not?"

"_No!_" The Eds below were shocked by the sincerity in that one little word. "They deserve better than that! They should have the chance to use their powers to _help_ people and _gain_ their trust!" At this, her gaze trailed downwards. "...like someone I know."

"Nazz..." Edd breathed.

"Hmmph. Touching sentiment," Vull grumbled. "Though not all of my victims could relate to that."

"Well, still! Anything's better than rotting away in a canvas while _you_ use their powers for your own gain!"

"And whatever is wrong with that?" he honestly asked. "Everything man does that is visionary is done to fulfill his deepest desires. Anyone can attest to that. When it comes right down to it..." He finished with his trademark grin. "...deciphering good from evil... is all in the storytelling."

Silence was their answer. They weren't sure how else to reply to such complete and utter outrageousness.

Edd's migraine from long before began to resurface. And this time it wasn't cause my mystery meat.

"There," Vull ended, weaving his fingers again. "That's the entire plan. Satisfied?"

"..._**you**_..." only Eddy managed to growl.

"I must say, out of all the Super Children that have taken my tests, you boys delivered a marvelous performance, one that I deeply enjoyed watching." Concluding, he stepped back, his hands ghosting along the controls before him. "I'll think fondly of you when I utilize your powers."

"_NO!_" Nazz fiercely protested, struggling in her bonds.

"No, no, nonononono...!!" Ed whimpered, bawling in terrified woe as the machine began to spring to life around them.

"_Dangit!_" Eddy cursed as the cylinders they were trapped in began to vibrate. "Ain't there _anything_ we can do!? Double D!"

His words weren't reaching his spaced-out friend. Not only was the gradual roar of the Power Converter drowning him out, but Edd was having a difficult time coming to terms with exactly what was happening.

_This... can't be... I've failed before, but... is this what true defeat feels like?_

"I don't _wanna_ lose my powers, Double D!!!"

_No... it can't end this way... we've worked so hard to get here... overcame so much together..._

"_**Double D!!!**_"

_No!_ He shut his eyes tight in denial. _I won't, _can't_ accept this! There has to be a way out of this! There has to...!_

"I do apologize for all this," echoed the villain's voice one last time. "It's nothing personal... just business."

Nazz could only watch as he took hold of the major control dial, turning it from its neutral position to the left. With that one dreaded click, the contraption below began its horrid task.

Glowing shades of green, red, and yellow, respectively, the Eds groaned and dropped down in weakness, their energies flowing up through the tubes behind them. Ed continued to cry in agony past the pain, Eddy tried to pull away with less force each time, and Edd moaned heavily, slumping over the side again.

The simultaneous pain and rapid loss of energy was unbearable. Like a high-powered vacuum, every fiber in his body, every flicker in his inner flame, felt as though they were being ripped apart and sucked right in. Never mind the extraction of his powers. Never mind the gradual loss of conscious thought. All that he could process that seemed to make any sense were the blurry images of his energy flowing upwards... his dear friends collapsing beside him... his own body disappearing, and in all irony, not of his own will...

_How... could this happen? It wasn't... supposed... to end... like..._

"_**NO!!!**_"

Suddenly, like a chorus of angels, a shrill cry broke through the dull scream of the machine in their ears. There then came a soft blow, quickly followed by another, and Vull cried out in a voice three pitches higher than normal before a heavy thud signified his collapse.

Another click, and the torture came to an abrupt halt.

".........unnnnnnh...."

"Ugh... h-huh...?"

They were still weak when they realized it; after all, over half their energy and physical components had already been drained. They used all the power they had left just too look at each other in utter bafflement.

Gathering up all he could, Edd creaked his neck upwards, and seeing the curved, blonde top of Nazz's head behind the machine's controls lifted up whatever was left of his spirits considerably.

Nazz stood over the control panel, slightly intimidated by the multitude of flashing buttons. Looking up, she saw that the flow of energy had stopped, due to the bubbles free-floating within the translucent tubes. That was a result of grabbing the large dial and switching it back to its neutral position. But there had to be some way to reverse the flow and return the Eds to normal, and that was what she was currently trying to figure out. A groan from a crumpled Vull behind her served as a reminder of what precious little time she had.

Half by reason, half by guess, Nazz grabbed the dial again and turned it to the right once more. It took some effort, but with a metallic groan, it clicked into place. With another roar, the liquid reversed its direction.

The effect was gradual, but when it really picked up speed, the Eds were thrown back up in a sudden blast of power returning to their once feeble bodies. The energy rushed up their arms and spread all over, a strong, hot, rejuvenating charge that crackled like electricity. They each threw their heads back and let out a cry, though this time not of pain.

"..._wwwwhhhHOOOAAAHHH...!!!_"

"Uhhh..._ Ahhhhh...!_"

"_**WOOOOOO**__HOOHOOHOOHOO!!!!_"

Needless to say, the drainage reversal was absolutely incredible. Edd trembled in a mixture of awe and intoxication; never before had he felt so empowered, so strong, so sharp...!

With a roar of his own, he pulled once more, and his fists, wrapped in force fields, broke free from the cylinder, breaking it in half. Eddy escaped similarly with a rev of his feet, and with next to none effort, Ed tugged out as if ripping through paper and shot his freed arms up in triumph.

"The Super Eds are _back!!_"

"_Woo!_" Eddy cheered, pounding Edd on the back, just for pounding's sake. "We made it out! ...somehow!"

The gesture had barely phased Edd, whose eyes were trained upwards still, face beaming with a smile of immense relief.

"N...Nazz...!"

"Yay! Go Nazz!"

At the chortles and cheers below her, the heroine of the day giggled and waved back. This distraction briefly tore her away from her last worry, who slowly stumbled to his feet and gawked at the result of her interference.

"Y... _**you wretched girl!!**_" Vull shrieked, losing all traces of calm collectiveness. "You've ruined _everything!_"

The Eds jumped quite a few inches in the air when he swung his arm, devilishly backhanding her aside.

"_**NAZZ!!**_" Edd howled, clenching tight fists of seething rage.

"Okay, _that's it!_" Eddy hollered, cracking his knuckles and bending down in pre-sprint. "You've been asking for this for a _long time!_"

"Make him cry, Eddy!" Ed called out with a shaking fist as Eddy dashed up the wall. He then flashed a bright smile towards Edd beside him. "I'll go get Nazz for you, Double D."

"_For_ me...?" Slowly, his confusion waned, replaced with a knowing grin and a nod. "Be careful."

"Of course!"

The two of them looked up just in time to cringe at the vicious punch their third party delivered to their enemy. And boy, did he looked like he enjoyed it. Thoroughly.

Rubbing her sore cheek, Nazz jumped when Vull landed hard on the floor near her, groaning in half-consciousness while Eddy above him laughed typically, "HA! Hurts, don't it!?"

Nazz didn't have time to reflect on the gesture before someone grabbed her by the arm, carefully helping her to her feet.

"Up and at 'em, Nazz!" greeted a cheery voice, and she turned up to Ed's beaming face. "You wanna go see Double D?"

At his mention, Nazz nodded eagerly. "Y-yeah! Please!"

"Okie-dokie!" Before she could protest, Ed grabbed her in a cloud of zero-point energy, freezing her on the spot. "And away... we..._ go!_"

He threw his arm back, launching her into the air...

...and unintentionally breaking concentration. He still had problems with that, getting too excited and losing concentration.

"...oops."

"Ed! I told you to be _careful!_"

Sailing across the cavern, Nazz had no other option than to scream in terror. Far below, she caught sight of Edd, positioning himself to catch her. But from _this_ height? Was he crazy??

Apparently not. As she dropped into his arms, instead of meeting hard stone flooring, the two were quickly wrapped in a force field, gently tumbling inside of it, like zero gravity, as it came to rest. With the danger of falling gone, the pair clung to each other tightly, reveling the embrace, as they both had feared they'd never feel it again.

"D...Double D...!" Nazz gasped, breathless with soft sobs. "...oh, god... that was... that was close...!"

"Almost _too_ close," Edd agreed, panting slightly. "But you saved us!" Concentrating, he straightened them out, allowing them to rest their feet on the ground before letting the field go. He then held her at arm's length, baffled. "But how? How on earth did you...?"

Nazz paused, looking up. Currently, Vull was undergoing more embarrassment courtesy of Eddy. Small patches of fire would spontaneously spark on different parts of his dark clothing, and Ed was not only laughing at the man's hopping little dance; he was laughing and _pointing_.

"You know, if it makes things easier..." Edd brought her attention back to him, speaking matter-of-factly. "...I think you've got time for a flashback."

Giggling, Nazz nodded in agreement.

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_It was only a few hours earlier when the escape plan ended in a bust. Nazz would never forget that moment, ever. She'd never forget the sharp pains of despair and helplessness as she wept quietly between a pair of brutish soldiers. She'd never forget the sight of the Eds being carried away, or Vull's satisfied grin... both of which turned her stomach inside and out._

"_What do we do with them, Lord Vull?" one of them grunted._

"_What you do with every Super Child," he replied, slightly aggravated. "Take them to the Registry. I'll pick them up soon once preparations are complete for their... initiation."_

"_Yes, sir!"_

_Brokenhearted, Nazz dropped her drenched gaze, unwilling to watch them disappear down the hall. Her hopes lost, she hardly noticed the soldiers releasing her, letting another take her by the shoulder. Normally, she would've realized how the grip was slightly more gentle, or recognized the hesitant voice behind her. But at the time, all she felt was numb._

"_Sir... what about Nazz?"_

"_Who?" Vull had already forgotten her name._

_An enduring sigh. "The girl."_

"_Oh, her. Hmm... well, if she promises to behave, you can bring her to the Registry as well. Do tie her up, though; I don't want her causing any trouble."_

_Vull's belittling went right through her. She didn't even have the strength to be angry anymore. He walked away without a second thought._

_Nazz didn't resist as Dreadnaught took her wrists and brought them around to her back, aiming to tie them together. Working through his task, he grunted sympathetically, "...yeah, I know. Vull's a grade-A jerk."_

_Silence was her response._

"_Look, I'm sorry. I told you, I can't override a direct order from Vull. It's not like he..."_

_A soft, wet sob made him falter. He quickly shut up when he realized nothing he could say would make her feel any better as she continued to quietly weep._

"_...it's not fair..." she whimpered to herself._

_Dreadnaught didn't reply, though he hesitated in his work._

"_...we were so... so close...!"_

_A moment more, and then he swiftly continued._

"_D...Double D..."_

"_...pst."_

"_H...huh?" Finally, Nazz brought her gaze up at the sudden whisper._

"_Listen up," he firmly commanded. "The knot I'm tying here _looks_ tight, but you can wiggle out of it pretty easily. Flatten your hands and work it so it slides down."_

"_W...wha...?"_

"_Not now, though. You'll wanna wait for the right time. 'Til then, act like a proper captive. If you do it right, Vull won't catch on 'til it's too late."_

_Nazz turned part of the way to stare at him, completely baffled. "W... why?"_

"_As far as I'm concerned, enough's enough," he tightly explained as he knelt down to her height. "He doesn't know I've seen it, much less that my men are already packed. Ever since we got here, we've been ready to leave at a moment's notice when things got too hairy. It's usually in the fine print, which I doubt Vull read when he sighed the contracts."_

"_So, wait... you're all leaving?"_

"_Hell yes. No sense in hanging around on a sinking ship." He paused, chagrined. "...call it intuition, but... I got a feeling those friends of yours will be able to stand up to Vull. And frankly, we don't wanna get in the way; he's put my men through enough humiliation."_

_Among all the things she wasn't quite understanding, that factor she could at least wrap her head around. "A-alright, but... really?"_

"_Yeah, really. Usually, Vull would have his way and the boys would be powerless to stop him. But what they got that the other Super Kids didn't have..." Through her helmet visor, he glanced at her meaningfully. "...is someone like you, who Vull won't expect to interfere."_

_Though touched, Nazz grew unsure. "But... what do I do...?"_

"_You'll know when you get there. If you can find a way to stop the process, they'll take care of the rest." A smirk to finish it off. "That old windbag'll be in for a rude awakening."_

_Utterly shocked, Nazz almost didn't know what to say. "So... you're... helping us."_

_Dreadnaught shrugged, standing up and taking her by the arm as a mock gesture of authority. "Just trying to do the right thing. Make sure those boys give him the beating of his life."_

"_...thank you."_

"_Hey, wipe that grin off your face! You're suppose to be a prisoner in despair, remember?"_

"_Oh... oh, right." She took a minute to put her apathetic sulk back on before she was taken away... to rescue her own rescuers._

----------

"So..." Edd smiled. "The Commander really was someone we could trust."

"Uh-huh!" Nazz winked proudly. "I totally called that one!"

"You did indeed." The pair shared a brief giggle. "In that case, the soldiers have most likely departed off the island by now, since Vull was distracted with us."

"Right, which means he's all we gotta deal with. Shouldn't be much of a problem...!"

But a zap of electricity and cry of pain disagreed with that.

"_Eddy!_" they both cried as he was sent flying back from the balcony. Ed soon followed in his own flight, dodging another shot and catching Eddy. The couple ran to their landing spot not too far away.

"Ed! What happened??" Edd exclaimed, looking over a groaning Eddy. "Is he alright?"

"...umnguh."

"Uh... I think so."

"V...Vull...!" Eddy gasped. "...pulled out a blaster... felt like those lasers, but..."

"But a weaker version," Edd concluded, since he wasn't rendered unconscious. Glancing up, he spotted Vull feverishly operating the controls, not bothering to hide the frantic insanity on his face.

"You dreadful little brats!!" he snarled over the panel. "_Fine_, then! If I can't have your powers, _then I'll simply kill you and all your successors!!_"

There came a suction-like noise, and the Power Diamond disappeared deep into the inner workings of the machine.

"Great. He's finally lost it," Nazz muttered.

"Took him long enough," Eddy added.

Edd, however, seemed more urgent. "He's trying to get the Power Diamond! Ed, stop him!"

"You got it, Double D!" With heroic speed, Ed pushed off the ground and disappeared over the controls, engaging with Vull once more.

And then, Edd turned back to his childhood crush, facing her levelly. "Nazz, there's... something I need to tell you."

She could only gawk his way. "Well, geez, can't it _wait!?_"

"I might not get another chance, Nazz!"

Loose punches and grunts of pain above them deterred Edd slightly, flinching at every blow. By now recovered, Eddy wordlessly dashed back up the wall to help. With his concentration derailed, it took a few moments of self-motivation before Edd could continue.

"Listen, I... I've always taken fondly to you, ever since we first met." It took a lot out of him to endure watching her eyes widen in surprise. But he refused to let himself hesitate any longer, and began to rush everything all out at once. "B-but I was aware that everyone else did too, and I never gathered the courage to tell you how strongly I felt about you because I had convinced myself that you deserved someone better than me...!"

The two ducked at a few slight rumbles and lasers that pounded into the walls. Things were getting more noisy up above, but Edd was on fire, and Nazz was watching his burning passion unfold with the utmost fascination.

"But now I realize how foolish I've been, filling my heads with all these fears and doubts..." Without thinking, he took her hands into his, and she didn't pull away; she _couldn't._ "It took superpowers and a terrifying adventure for me to see it, but..." His voice cracked and eyes welled up, but he wasn't discouraged in the least. "...I-I not only found you, but also the power to believe in myself, to believe in the potential between us, and... and now... I _finally_ see us, t-to-together... see that we actually... have a chance...!"

Neither were disturbed by the explosion above that sent Ed and Eddy crashing to the ground nearby. They were lost in each other's eyes.

Nazz felt like melting. She was simply entranced by the raw emotion spilling out messily in the sweetest words ever spoken to her. She had never seen him this open, this frank and honest. Normally, this would put Edd in a horribly vulnerable position, but he only felt his confidence building. His heart was pounding painfully against his ribs, and he was just about ready to collapse, but found himself unable to stop. He had just enough strength to wrap it up.

"N-now, we've teased and hinted at it, b-b-but I need a straight answer, right now, _do you love me back or not??_"

The question even brought their dizzy friends' gazes up in a stunned stupor. Understandably, Nazz didn't respond right away, and when her hands quickly drew back, Edd shut his eyes tight and braced himself for a shout or a slap or a similar gesture of rejection.

But instead they cupped his cheeks, pulling him forward until his lips met hers. His eyes flared up instantly.

There came a cheer. "Alright! _Finally!_"

"Awwww!"

Stiffening up and swallowing a small squeak, Edd had no idea how to react. He had been anticipating this several times, imagined it in his head over and over, but...

...but this was better than anything his imagination could've come up with on its own.

How was he to know she'd feel so soft... so warm against him...smelled so pleasant... breathed so gently... With gradual acceptance, he slid his eyes closed and leaned closer in response, letting her sheer presence engulf all his senses. All catcalls and coos from his friends went in one ear and out the other.

Sooner than he would've liked, they parted with the softest smacking sound. Purposely taking his time, Edd drew away slowly, eyes halfway opening as if he was stuck in a dream. The shy, blushed smile he awoke to was simply to die for.

"I think that's as straight of an answer as I can give you."

Edd blinked for a moment or two. He then opened his mouth to reply, but another explosion took precedence, rocking the entire cavern. The trio blocked and dodged debris falling from the collapsing balcony, the Power Converter crumbling, its tubes lashing and spraying fluid and steam in all directions.

At some point, when all the smoke flooded the air, everyone dove towards Edd, who quickly ducked down and wrapped all of them in one of the largest force fields he had ever generated. Sustaining it took quite an amount of effort, evident in the sweat gathering near his temples as he cringed at every brick and stone that struck the shell. Yet he kept it going, well after all the rumbling stopped.

When it was certain that the rain of rubble from above had ceased, Edd released it with a fan of his fingers and a stained grunt, and he gently slumped against Nazz to recover. No words were traded, but none needed to be. Nazz held him close and allowed him to catch his breath, and after waving some of the dust out his face, Eddy threw Ed a grin and a chuckle, which was gleefully returned.

"..._ow!_"

Until a last piece of shrapnel bounded off the top of his head. After a whine and a rub, Ed joined his companions in staring at the object that had fallen to the floor with a tinkle. The once Power Diamond had lost its flashes of color, reduced to a leaden gray.

".....mmmmhehehehe..."

A low, maddening chuckle began to echo throughout the decimated chamber, surprising the four. Naturally, Nazz latched onto Edd, and for the sake of consistency, Ed latched onto Eddy, much to the short one's irritation.

"...I see... I see now why your kind wouldn't want to give these up... hahahaha... my _god,_ it's absolutely _incredible!!_"

His power-hungry laughter wasn't the only thing that grew. High above them, shrouded in ash, a dark figure began its slow descent, hovering down as gently as a feather. Power of flight. At the same time, the figure rapidly grew in size—magnification—as bright balls of pure power pulsed around his fists—energy consumption.

"So much power... so many abilities... I cannot even _begin_ to fathom it all!"

Touching down on the ground with a tremble in his wake, Vull Stalwart towered over his enemies, face aflame with wonderfully chaotic delight. His typical business suit remained intact, all except the long, draping coat, and exposed to them now was a peculiar belt fastened tightly to his waist. On top of the buckle sat a spherical charm that glowed with the same multicolored brilliance the Power Diamond once did.

"_I think I'll test them all out on you... one... by... __**one!**_"

Psychokinesis had nothing to do with the sudden twang of pure _fear_ that took the children by storm, but it might as well have been.

----------

A/N: MY HANDS HURT FROM ALL THIS TYPING DX

Oh well. I dearly hope this cleared things up. And know we're all set up for an epic final battle! Let's see how long THAT takes me to write! XD Anyways, please review! And please, please, PLEASE don't bug me about being so late with this.


	17. Final Lesson

A/N: Whew! It took a lotta time, sweat, and blood, but I finally finished it! Chapter 17, the big fight scene! In two parts, no less! Or more! You be the judge, I dunno. XD So, let's get on with it, shall we?

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Chapter 17: Final Lesson

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----

Big, final boss battles have always been a standard of the superhero genre. But this one had odds that just didn't seem fair.

Seriously. An aged, yet healthy man with close to every single superpower at his disposal, against three inexperienced children, each about a fifth of his age, size, strength, and who knows what else. And one of them was still weak in the knees from that kiss.

Their frozen faces of fear only boosted Vull's confidence for victory. He grinned, towering above them like a giant.

"If I were still playing the headmaster role, I'd say 'this is your final lesson, Children. Good luck!'" He gave out a low chuckle that quickly progressed into a dreadful cackle. "It'd be a shame, though; I'd have to give you a _failing grade!_"

As they each hesitantly fell into battle stances, something occurred to Eddy. "...hey, Ed?"

"Yeah, Eddy?"

"Are bad guys _supposed_ to crack horrible jokes like that?"

"Oh, yeah. All the time."

"Alright. Just making sure."

Usually, Edd would've chastised their inappropriately casual tones, but right now he had other things on his mind. Sizing up their enemy, he spoke over his shoulder, "Nazz, get to safety."

"I... alright."

Though he wasn't facing her, he sensed her own hesitation. "Please, Nazz. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Same to you, Double D." Arms wrapped around him from behind. "Be careful, okay?"

He nodded grimly, squeezing one of her hands to his heart before she drew away and ran for cover.

"Are you all quite ready, then??" Vull's voiced boomed across the ruined chamber as he raised a great hand into the air. "Let's... _**begin!!**_"

Slapping it down hard triggered another massive rumble, and a huge crack snaked its way across the floor towards the Eds. Instinctively, they all leaped out of the way, and good thing, too, because a chain of spikes rose up from the very spots of ground they stood on seconds before. Crying out in surprise, they each ended their dodges accordingly; Ed took to the air on ZPE, Eddy dashed to one side, and Edd ungracefully tumbled to the other.

"Holy...!" Eddy gaped at the carnage. "This guy's _serious!_"

"_No kidding, Eddy!!_" Edd hollered.

"I _did_ promise I'd kill you, after all," Vull reminded.

"**HA!** Like to see you _try_, windbag!"

Eddy was the first to attempt retaliation, rushing straight towards Vull with a roaring battle cry, his fists wrapped in flames. But the old man was hardly intimidated. He thrust out his hand, and from the palm sprayed a sleet of powdered white, dropping the room temperature considerably. Eddy had no chance to react; as the spray hit him at full force, he felt himself gradually slow down, his limbs stiffening as a thin, distorted barrier coated his whole body and stretched to the ground. When the powder settled, the Super Child of Speed was frozen solid in mid-sprint, a sharp trail of ice spiking behind him and suspending him above the floor. The fires were extinguished, and his face was petrified in a gawk of surprise.

"_EDDY!!_"

Chuckling to himself, Vull reached down and snapped the boy off the ground like an icicle, holding him before his growing grin.

"Mmhehehehe... I'm greatly resisting to urge to use the words 'chill out.'"

His friends jumped in panic as a giant fist knocked him clear across the cavern. The ice incasing him shattered upon hitting the wall, and he briefly stuck to it before peeling off like old wallpaper, leaving an Eddy-shaped imprint on the cracked surface.

"Eddy!" Edd hurried to his side as he collapsed, a blue-tinted, quivering mess. He shivered and sneezed as if just having walked through a blizzard.

"Hahaha!" Edd turned back and glared, seething at a gloating Vull. "Looks like an unstable body temperature isn't all it's cracked up to be, hmm?"

"You big _bully!_" a voice brayed from high above. "Super Ed'll teach _you_ to hurt his comrade!!"

What appeared to be an annoying little firefly buzzing around Vull's massive head was an angry Ed, dashing around in futile attempts to confuse him. Hardly phased, Vull grew thoughtful as he watched the hero without a clue float this way and that.

"Hmm... zero-point energy, eh?" he mumbled to himself, scratching his chin. "Tricky, being an untested theory... and any physical attack you'd simply shrug off..."

Even in his angry little fit, Ed stopped short when he noticed sparks of electricity running though Vull's beard as he stroked it, leaping onto his fingers.

"So I guess the way to attack you is from _inside-out!_"

Ed tried so hard to escape. He curved sharply, trying to fly back in the opposite direction, flailing his arms in the desperate motions of a drowning swimmer and losing what little control he had of his flight path. But that made no difference either way. Flashes of lightening spiked through the air just as erratically, turning in on themselves and driving into their target for one consecutive hit.

"_**NNGARGH!!!**_"

"_ED!!_"

White-hot pain surged from within the Regenerating Super Child, a pain that would not as easily go away. When the electrocution was finally over, he was still aching, and terribly weakened. Unable to maintain his ZPE, he plummeted down like a lead weight, crashing to the ground with a fair amount of rubble.

"Two attempts, both fruitless," Vull chuckled, mainly to himself. "I thought you boys would put up a better fight than this, honestly. Now, where is...?"

He only searched the cavern for a second or two more before he remembered what he was up against. When he could not find Edd anywhere, he wasn't in the least bit surprised, or worried, for that matter. His sight was just in the wrong condition, is all.

Shutting his eyes, Vull made the subtle change, and they flashed open with a bluish glow. Basic visibility was obscured, as objects scattered across the chamber blended together in a dull blue cloud. But another glance around, and he found what he was looking for. The lanky figure was suddenly visible, clear as day, a bright red blob against the blue, as he crept his way across the floor, looking for a vantage point.

But at Vull's soft, delighted giggling, the figure froze and looked up, his gaze of terror fuzzy.

"Peek-a-boo... _I see you!!_"

Edd wasn't quite sure how it happened, but the next thing he knew, a wave of pure _sound_ was shot his way. The sound could've been best described as a rusted metal rake being dragged agonizingly slow over am old, dusty school chalkboard; needless to say, it rattled painfully against his eardrums and greatly interrupted his concentration.

"Hngh...!..._**GEAGH!!**_" he howled, clutching his pounding head and falling to his knees. He faded in and out of visibility as an effect of the disorientation brought on by the excruciating pain.

When the noise dulled down into a slight buzz, it was replaced with uproarious laughter.

"Is this _really_ all you boys can throw at me!?" Vull mocked, annoyingly amused like any proper villain. "How disappointing! You haven't even _touched_ me yet! However did you pass all my tests!?"

Before Edd could form a coherent, much less witty, response, he felt a hand grab him by the arm and yank him to his feet. Still dizzy, he leaned against Eddy for support.

"Alright, genius," he whispered sharply as Vull continued in his triumphant cackling. "Whadda we do _now?_"

For a rare, terrifying moment, Edd had absolutely no clue. Instinctively, he looked around, searching for something, _anything_ that would trigger a brainwave, but there was nothing in the chamber besides themselves, rubble, and their gloating arch-nemesis.

Edd tried to remain calm, but his profuse sweating betrayed the image. He didn't know what to do. He had no brainstorms on how to approach this battle effectively.

Time. He needed more time. And maybe a change in scenery, too.

"...We need a diversion," Edd finally decided, surprising Eddy. "That may throw him off."

After a gruff grunt, Eddy nodded. At this point, any alternative to getting killed was worth trying. "Alright, but what exactly did you have in mind? We're kinda stuck in here...!"

"I know, I kn...?" Edd then looked up to see a change in Eddy's disgruntled expression; it lit up in inspiration. "...Eddy?"

"Except for...!"

A soft whistle cut through the laughter above, and the two swiveled around to catch sight of Ed, waving them down. Already a step ahead, he was knelt down beside the window him and Eddy had earlier discovered, propping it open. Nazz's head peeked out from inside, and they both motioned them to follow.

Just about finished with his merriment and ready to take down the first of many adversaries, Vull turned his attention back down at his prey. "Are you boys ready to surrender yourse... uh?"

He blinked a few times to let register the fact that his foes were gone. He then spotted the low window, softly swinging and creaking and coming to rest. Judging by the heat signatures he detected around the portal, it was easy to guess that as their escape route.

Vull contemplated this for a moment. And then, probably to no reader's surprise, he laughed.

"And just _where_ do you hope to run off to?!" he bellowed maniacally, stomping over and mindlessly smashing the wall in with his gargantuan fists. "Very well, then! I don't mind a rousing game of cat-and-mouse!"

Stepping over the debris, Vull then paused, realizing he was much too large to proceed into the hallways after them. Briefly breaking character, he pouted. He _liked_ being huge; why should he have to change his great size for a few little pests?

The answer came to him when he clenched a fist, his arm stretching out like a rubber band. With that, his entire body contorted to his whim, and he snaked through the door and into the hallways.

Time to exterminate the mice!

----------

With horrid laughter echoing behind them, the children hurried down the hallowed halls in random directions, hoping to stall for time. Or, more accurately, _Eddy_ was hurrying down the hallowed halls in random directions, the other three perched on his back and shoulders.

Glancing back warily, Edd called out, "Pick up the pace, Eddy! He's sure to catch up with us!"

"Ngh...!" Eddy groaned under their combined weight, gradually slowing down. "I'll pick up _your_ pace, you...! ...guhurh...!"

"We're all too heavy for him!" Nazz pointed out, glancing at her sweetheart on the opposite shoulder. "We can't keep moving like this!"

"What if...!" Ed was meanwhile trying to help contribute to the big plan. "...we try an awesome combo move? Maybe a big...!"

Edd blinked, an idea flashing into his brain as Ed continued talking. It wasn't the absolute solution to all their problems, but he was comforted by the feeling nonetheless. Good to know he hadn't lost it yet.

"Eddy!"

"_What!?_" he barked, glancing up with gritted teeth of strain. He fleetingly felt annoyed by Edd's smirk, until he spoke again.

"Shall we try Rolling the Ball?"

All three shifted in expression at the proposition, giving Edd looks varied in confusion.

And then Eddy smirked back. "Sounds good to me!"

"Very well!" Edd turned to Ed and Nazz next, smiling casually at their puzzled faces. "Hold still, please!"

"What?"

"Why-_Whoa!_"

Eddy ducked as the two were lifted into a force field, sighing in relief as he immediately began to pick up speed. Ed and Nazz, however, grunted and cried out as they tumbled around aimlessly inside the sphere, which Edd was slowly directing downwards with his hands. Finally, it touched down, and Eddy reached out and began rolling it along. Ed laughed in glee, and Nazz watched in awe as Edd hopped off his perch and touched his toe down atop the ball, instantly straightening up.

"Wahaha!! Is _this_ the cool move you guys did earlier??"

"Sure is, Lumpy!" Eddy chuckled. "'Rolling the Ball.' Not bad, Sockhead, not bad!"

"Thank you, Eddy."

"Whoop! Whoahohohahaha...!" The light bouncing around mixed together with their sheer speed made this the most _radical_ ride Nazz had ever been on, to where she began to laugh alongside Ed. "_Awesome!_ Ahahaha!"

_Good. This is good,_ Edd complimented himself, tilting at the many turns and corners they swerved around. _This will buy us more time. Now, what to do about Vull? Think, Eddward, think...!_

"Hey, Double D!" Eddy interrupted his train of thought. "Where exactly are we _going?_"

Well, hey, good question.

Considering the condition they left the Power Converter chamber in, plus all the crashing they were hearing behind them, Edd decided, "Not the exit."

"_Huh?_"

"The only way out of the Academy is through the Hall of Supers, and we can't risk Vull recklessly destroying those paintings."

"Right!" Nazz agreed from inside. "Not if there's a chance we can recover all those Super Children!"

"Okay, I get that, but where're we supposed to take on Vull!? That chamber's the biggest one in the building!"

"Not entirely. There's a... _WAGH!!_"

"What? _What!?_"

"_Turn left, __**turn left!!**_"

Eddy sharply veered without question, catching sight of a gynormous hand at the end of the hallway. Speeding off, they barely dodged in time, the clawed hand snatching up nothing but air.

"He's coming for us!!" Ed bawled, panicking.

"_What NOW, Double D!?_"

Unflinchingly, Edd crouched lower. "Keep running, Eddy! Full speed ahead!"

"IT'S A DEAD END!!"

"_Just keep running!!_"

"What, until I plow into the _FREAKING WALL!?!_"

"_**DO IT, EDDY!!**_"

Edd had screamed so sharply that Eddy had no other option than to obey, rushing at top speed and bowing his head down low. The travelers inside the orb began to scream, but Edd did not waver in the slightest. Just a twitch of the eye, an anticipation of the incoming pain.

So much for avoiding walls.

----------

There was a simple reason why the hallways of the Hall of Supers Academy twisted and turned the way they did. Yes, part of it was to aggravate visitors to no end before their imminent capture, and to keep Vull's army-for-hire busy with patrolling. But it also had to do with the very structure of the building itself. Many hallways were forced to line the outside borders of the fortress, as the middle of the castle had been hallowed out.

The courtyard was the only thing with the Academy's borders that looked even remotely picturesque, and that was because most of the environmental photos on the website were taken here. A lovely arrangement of colorful flowers lined the stone paths, shadowed gently by various types of trees. With an extended field of freshly-cut grass in the center, one could've guessed this may have been a training ground for students here... if there were any students at all. Flat surfaces of tarred black-top sat at the far end, and several pillars held up the archways that kept this strange architecture structurally sound.

As of now, despite all the racket indoors, the courtyard was quiet in the blanket of the midnight shift. No soldiers strolled the path, leaving butterflies and moths to dance upon the flowers. Trees whispered at every breeze.

It was certainly a calm, peaceful scene to describe.

Oh well. Back to the fast-paced action.

_**Pffow!**_

A fountain-like blast shot sideways out of the wall, second floor, launching bricks in every possible direction. Out fell the four kids responsible, plunging to the ground and tumbling through dirt, grass, and flora. Just as the soft patterns of the garden were disturbed by raining debris, the silence was broken with groans, coughing, and dizzy giggling.

"Ha-hey, look! It's a _courtyard!_" Eddy proclaimed dumbly, sitting up in his announcement, but immediately plopping on his back again.

"Ngn... ow..." Nazz took her time in trying to heave her aching body back up, blowing a loose flower off her nose. But watching Ed stumble up nearby made her realize how insignificant her pain was compared to everything they'd gone through to retrieve her. Especially...

"...Double D..." she grunted, sitting up on her hands and knees. "Where's Double D?"

"Uh..." Ed glanced around as the cuts on his face from his encounter with a rose bush visibly sealed up. "I think he flew that way..."

Upon spotting a dark form in the field far off, Nazz staggered to her feet and hurried over, and once recovered, the other two were soon to follow. It was evident that he had landed farthest from the impact, and crevices in the grass showed signs of rolling and skidding an even further distance.

"D-Double D...!" She quickly turned him on his back, caressing the side of his scuffed-up, yet tranquil face. "...oh, no... i-is he okay?" she asked Eddy uneasily when he popped up beside her.

"Yeah, just knocked out," he put it as delicately as he could. "Same thing happened earlier when we hit the side of a cliff."

".......unnnnnhh..."

"Ooh!" Ed's worried face instantly lightened up when his friend stirred. "He's waking up this time!"

"Mnn..." Gentle hands cupped his cheeks and held him in place as he awakened, head pounding as usual. Groggily, Edd forced his eyes open, but he couldn't stop the smile that came to his face at the one he woke to. Nazz returned it, relieved.

She frowned, however, when he lightly cringed. "Head hurts?"

"'Course it does..." he grumbled, chuckling in irony as he clutched his forehead. "But... I take it as a good sign now. Lets me know I'm still alive, at the very least."

"It's your own fault, y'know." He turned to Eddy's typical smirk. "I thought we agreed on _not_ smacking into walls."

"Drastic measures, Eddy." With their help, Edd sat up and got a bearing on their surroundings. "...ah, good, we landed in the courtyard. Just as I hoped."

"You knew about it before, Double D?" Ed asked, to which the hatted one nodded.

"It was mentioned on the website. They provided a modes map of the building, too. I figured if we turned inward enough, we'd reach a dead end that would lead to it."

"Only had to knocked down a wall to do it," Eddy briskly added.

"But now you guys have a bit more time," Nazz noted as they all got to their feet. "Even if it's just a minute or two."

"Okay, so we got _that_, and a change in locale," Eddy sorely reminded them of how little the situation had changed. "Now how do we take care of _Vull?_"

That was indeed the question of the day, wasn't it? Edd made a face.

"...why are you all looking at _me?_"

"_You're_ the strategist! You _always_ come up with the best battle plans!"

"Well, really now, Eddy, I wouldn't terribly mind a _little_ input on your behalf!"

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Eddy was genuinely aghast, confusing Edd. "When has _anything_ I came up with ever worked!? Double D, we listen to you now because yours _work_, and I'd take that chance over _dying_ any day!"

All Edd could do in response was gawk at such noble honesty. Ed and Nazz did the same beside him.

"...Eddy...!"

A deep rumble interrupted the moment, followed by a crash from the same wall they had broken through. Dust briefly engulfed the courtyard, a time wisely spent rushing into the shadows under the archways, behind the pillars. It took some time for the crumbling rocks to cease their rain and the dust to mostly clear. It hung close to the ground, a mess of rubble and patches of dull, crushed grass.

Even when silence overtook the decimated courtyard, none of them moved a muscle, clinging tightly to each other or the wall. With Nazz in his protective arms, Edd braved a glance over his shoulder and past the pillar at his back. A gaping hole stood in place of the wall, and a pair of humongous hands stretched out and gripped the edges, pulling their owner out and over the pile of rocks.

Vull emerged from the darkness, stretching out of the hallways in an elastic fashion. He was alit with excitement, the chase only whetting his appetite for more wondrous violence. He took a deep, refreshing breath of the crisp night air, like a hunter in the woods.

"My _word_, how invigorating!" he chortled, calling out loudly into the open air. "You boys truly know how to make things interesting!"

Grimacing, Edd wordlessly turned back to his partners. The fear and urgency was reflected in all their faces.

"But enough games. I'm afraid it's time to face the music, bo..."

They grew confused by his abrupt silence, yet didn't dare to move from their hiding spot to see why. Then, to their surprise, he trampled right past them, shaking the ground with his careless, thundering steps. It seemed that something else had caught his attention, as he helplessly stumbled towards the black-top, flabbergasted.

"Wha... where are all the planes?" he asked himself softly, beginning to sweat as he surveyed the empty airfield. "The crafts, the helicopters... the soldiers...!"

Pulling away from Edd, Nazz made a face. "He's just _now_ noticing?"

"...they're gone," Vull slowly realized. "My army is... _my army is __**gone!!**_"

At this revelation, the kids gawked as the proud, once classy man was launched into a temper tantrum, shrieking and stomping and pounding his fists into whatever stood in his way in unspeakable rage.

"Tch! Last chance!" Eddy saw the opportunity, turning back to the group strategist one more time. "So what's the plan, Double D?"

"…I…" Weakly, Edd slumped against the wall in defeat. "…I don't know," he quietly muttered. "I just, I-I don't know…!"

Nazz knew he was growing upset. "Aw, come on, Double D, don't give up…!"

Usually, Ed would've joined in the encouragement, but he was much too busy on a brainwave of his own, staring intently at a rampaging Vull. For once in his life, the cobweb-filled cogs of his mind were churning at full speed.

"They left!? _They left!?_ How could they just up and leave!?! _I signed a contract and everything!!!_"

_Ding!_

"I…I…!"

"_Wait!_" Ed bleated, surprising them all. "I think I just thought a thunk."

"…okay, even _I_ know that's not right," Eddy remarked.

"What is your thunk, Ed?" Double D questioned without thinking twice. He didn't bother to correct himself; more important things that grammar were on the line.

"Okay, okay…" Ed began, pausing for effect. He grew quite serious, looking them each in the eye before continuing. "Think back to all those superhero movies we watched. When did the bad guy ever win?"

Uncertainly, the other three traded clueless glances before Edd ventured, "…never?"

"Right!" Ed grinned. "Because good always triumphs over evil!"

"In Hollywood, maybe!" Eddy argued. "How's that gonna help us _now?_"

Ed raised a finger of rebuttal, hardly deterred. "It's fact, Eddy. Even when the bad guy manages to get the most powerful power in the _history_ of powers, they _still_ lose!"

Knowing this was going somewhere, Nazz asked, "And why is that, Ed?"

"Two things. Either the villain gets corrupted by the power and loses by default, or their body can't hold all the power and becomes unstable, allowing the hero to rightfully defeat them!"

Edd's look of confusion quickly shifted. Another _ding!_

"So basically," Eddy sought to clarify. "You're saying that the big ol' power these bad guys look for only end up blowing up in their faces, right?"

By George, that was it. That was the bit of inspiration he was looking for.

"You got it!"

"…I do, Ed," Double D mindlessly responded in a hushed voice, catching everyone's attention. "…I think I do indeed."

"_Alright!_" Eddy chimed. "Sockhead's got a brainstorm!"

Darn right he did. Lord, did it feel good to be back.

"Ooh! I get it!" Nazz quickly caught on. "You guys are gonna turn Vull's powers against him, right?"

"You bet we are," Edd replied confidently, gathering them all in a huddle. "From what I gathered from Ed's kernel of wisdom, we have a chance to play off his current instability." He briefly glanced up at the crazed madman as he smashed in another wall, proving his point. "His mental stability is shot for certain, and those powers together _can't_ be safe for one human body to hold. Plus, we never went through the adaptation process we did."

"Okay, alright, we get _that,_" Eddy urged. "We need a plan of action, not a freaking analysis!"

"It's so the readers at home understand, Eddy," Edd explained, doing his part to break the fourth wall. "Either way, our goal is to exploit that instability as a weakness, leaving him vulnerable."

As Ed giggled at that last word, Eddy ignored him and asked, "How do we _do_ that?"

"Well, first of all, we have to attack him all at once," Edd pointed out. "If each of us move in from different angles, that'll be sure to confuse him. To step it up, if we can all get him to use two or more powers against us, that'll _truly_ mess up his equilibrium."

Eddy snickered deviously. That sounded like it was going to be a _lot_ of fun.

"What should we do to make him do that, Double D?" Ed asked.

"I don't know, improvise?" Edd shrugged casually at their unsure faces. "Hey, it worked against the plant creature."

"Point taken." Eddy took to watching Vull too. "So once we mess him up, we can lay the smackdown on him, right?"

Edd nodded in agreement. Those might have not been the words he'd choose, but it was close enough. "Precisely."

"Whadda we do after that?" Ed asked again, getting a few blinks in response.

"What do you mean, Ed?"

Eddy's turn to go _ding!_

"Hey, hey, wait a sec!" he eagerly spoke up, snapping his fingers, then pointing one in Vull's direction. "That rock in his belt, that's what's giving him all those powers, right? If we get rid of _that_, he's helpless!"

"Right!" Nazz piped up. "The Super Children are all inside the stone, so if you could take it off without destroying it…"

"So…" Ed brightened up in understanding. "All we gotta do is remove the belt!"

"_Very_ good, Ed." Highly encouraged, Edd smirked, nodding. "The belt most likely serves as a catalyst, the connection between Vull and the stone that allows him to utilize those powers. If we can disable it, that'll do him in."

"Alright!" Much more confident about their situation, Eddy was grinning ear to ear. An angry roar then echoed across the courtyard, reminding them all of the little time they had left. "Okay, super quick, run down the plan, one more time…!"

Edd swiftly counted off on his fingers, starting at the thumb. "One, we rush him. Two, we exploit his instability. Three, we smack him around a bit, and finally, we disable and remove the belt."

"_Yeah!_" Ed cheered, already on his feet. "Let's _get 'em!_"

"Ed, you dolt!" Eddy snatched the tail of his jacket, causing him to fall flat on his face. "What part of 'all of us at once' don't you get!?"

Edd smirked at their typical behavior as he got to his own feet. The grin never left his face as a pair of hands held his cheeks and directed him over to a quietly excited Nazz.

"_That_… was awesome."

"Just watch, it'll be even more so if we execute it right."

"You look like you're ready to freak out."

"Well…" Even now, Edd fought to keep a firm composure, only gaining giggles from his crush. "The plan's built off only theory. There's no guarantee it'll work."

"So?" Nazz gripped his arms tightly in anticipation. "Don't worry, just go for it!"

"Y'know, I've been telling him that over and over…!" Eddy commented, keeping Ed in a headlock. "If you could drill it into his head for me, that'd be great."

After a few laughs, Nazz took him up on that offer, surprising Edd by once again taking hold of his face. "Aww… all he needs is a little motivation."

Edd blinked. "Whammph."

Another kiss swallowed up his question. Oh. _That's_ what she meant.

"Whaaaaat, another one?"

"_Awwwwww!_"

Just as before, Edd was left in a stupor when Nazz pulled away. She gave him a knowing, encouraging smile, and he did his best to return it, but it came out lopsided in awe.

"_**Gaghragh!!**_ Fine! Who needs those backstabbing ingrates!? _I have nearly every superpower known to man!!!!_"

Attention swerved back when Vull's angry ranting began to make sense again. Soon enough, he would remember his original task and seek them out. Now was the time to strike.

Burning with a strange kind of motivation, but a strong one nonetheless, Edd jumped into position, holding out a force field. "Shall we, gentlemen?"

"Yes we shall!" Unable to contain his excitement any longer, Ed took to the air and darted off into the smoke. Edd swiftly hopped aboard his force field and proceeded right behind him.

Eddy would've dashed on ahead, but he hesitated, figuring he'd have enough time to catch up. He glanced back at Nazz, who regarded him strangely.

"…say, can I have one of those motivational smooc…"

"Get going!" Laughing at his joke, Nazz pushed him along until he grinned and sped off.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Vull was taking a bit of a breather. Which consisted of obsessive mumbling under his breath, of course. The chance to completely regain his composure was far, _far_ off yet.

When he finally recalled why he was here in the first place, the villain turned sharply, spotting three tiny figures in the distance, sprinting his way through the clearing dust.

"_There_ you little brats are! Thought you could catch me from behind while my guard was down!? _Pagh!!_"

Hardly effected by Vull's spats on contempt, Edd rode on, leading them into battle. Morale was considerably higher.

"You little _urchins_ don't know when to give up, do you!?!"

Edd flashed a smirk to his left, Eddy returned it.

"I have every superpower _you don't!_ You can't even _**dream**_ of defeating me!!"

Edd flashed another to his right. Ed did a playful barrel roll in response.

"_**I'LL DESTROY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!!!**_"

This was it. Moment of truth. Cue the big battle music.

Once at the right position, the Eds broke off and headed for areas most comfortable for them to work on. Ed began to circle in the air again, though in a more controlled path. Eddy dashed figure eights around Vull's giant feet, avoiding confused stomps easily. Edd kept his distance, but oddly tuned his stare on their enemy's head. Another idea had hit, and so he waited for his opportunity.

As expected, Vull glanced erratically between his miniature attackers. "Wha… what _nonsense_ is this!? You annoying little_ gnats!_"

He sent out bursts of attack all at once to their respective target. But the boys were ready this time. Eddy zigzagged to avoid the beams of ice, flowering in slick patches of sleet where they landed. Through experimentation, Ed discovered his ZPE nullified the electricity trained on him, as the spikes of energy disappeared with each zap. And, able to see it coming this time, Edd threw up another force field that absorbed the powerful sound wave across its rippling surface. He winced at the force, but only slightly.

"Is it me," he spoke slyly to Eddy nearby. "…or did those attacks seem a tad weaker than before?"

"HaHA! Ed was right! It's working!"

"_**GRRRRRAAAGGGHHHH!!!**_"

Roaring in rage, Vull launched a whirling dervish of attacks. They were so erratic, so uncontrolled, most of them missed their marks completely. Far away, watching the battle from a safe distance, even Nazz had to duck aside, the pillar she was posed behind cased in stone-cold ice.

In his dashing, Eddy began to notice the patterns of ice slicks laid across the field. Vull had left signs of continuous sweeps of ice beams, long, thin trails criss-crossing like a motor speedway. As more attacks whizzed his way, he hopped aboard the icy path, his worn shoes sliding across the surface with hardly any loss of momentum. Like a professional ice skater, he streamed down and around, ducking over some attacks and leaping effortlessly over others without breaking stride.

Impressed with his friend's agile adlib, Edd still kept his distance. Watching, waiting, biding his time… he'd know when his chance would come to really hit him hard.

Ed would be the one to try first, though. Identifying Vull's hands as the source of most of his attacks, the oaf decided to do something about it. When it looked like the villain had turned his attention away for a moment, Ed launched himself at the mighty man, full speed, with a tightly-clenched fist thrust out and ready to strike. Vull was quick to act; spotting him in his peripheral, he quickly calculated the place of impact above his wrist and rearranged the carbon atoms in that patch of skin, creating a visibly thick layer on top, rugged like alligator hide.

Needless to say, the impact jarred Ed from head to toe. A series of nasty crackling noises ran up his arm as it crumpled like paper against the diamond-hard surface.

Vull took a moment to smirk typically. "Broke your arm, did you?"

Ed's expression of _unspeakable_ pain only lingered for a moment more. Then he grinned cheerfully. "Sure did!" Drawing back, he snapped each awkward curve of his arm back into place and flexed it. "Good as new!"

He took much pleasure in Vull's gape of surprise before throwing another fist at him. He so loved his powers.

Vull cringed in annoyance, bringing up bodily shields with each hit. Though his bones kept breaking, Ed would not stop coming.

Getting there...

As Eddy sped by him, Edd glanced over the streaks of ice thoughtfully. Soon after, as Eddy kept on skating, he glanced back when he heard his name, and was surprised to find his pal slowly catching up atop his force field.

"Huh?"

"Eddy! Heat up the ice around you and use the steam to attack him!"

"Whoa, really? I can _do_ that??"

"Give it a shot!"

Eddy didn't have to be told twice. Continuing his strides, he wrapped his fists in flames again and leaned almost impossibly lower, to where his hands were strafing inches above the ice. Thin lines began to cut across the surface, and from them sprang puffs of stream, hissing like rattlesnakes. Eddy felt the heat, felt it splatter across his arms, but it didn't sting like it should've. No, he embraced the heat, made it curl through his fingers and gather in his palms, and suddenly he had a weapon.

When it grew hot around his feet, Vull quickly turned his attention downwards, and was surprised when he couldn't even see them. Clouds of steam were clumped around him, hiding the other two from view.

"What in blazes...!? _Unh!_" Still blocking Ed's advances, Vull blindly kicked through the steaming fog with no luck, aggravating him further. Which only proved to _blind_ him further.

"_You think you can hide from ME!?!_"

And his next move left him seeing white.

"_**AGHHH!!**_" Vull reeled back as if physically hit. Apparently switching to thermal vision wasn't such a brilliant idea when faced with clouds of heat, as the bright flash of pure, harsh _white_ brought pained tears to his eyes. He was left stumbling aimlessly, covering his face and muffling his cries.

And below him, the Eds couldn't help but stare at their adversary. Eddy hoped off the ice and braked to a stop, Edd cocked his head slightly, and Ed corrected his broken wrist.

"...Wow," he commented after the last snap. "Heat vision with steam? That wasn't very smart."

"To say the _least_," Edd agreed.

"Alright! We got him on the ropes!" Eddy grew tense with eagerness, steam swirling excitedly in his hands. "This is the part where we smack him around, right?"

Edd nodded firmly, looking between his partners. Nothing needed to be said. Only grins were exchanged.

Rubbing his stung eyes, Vull reopened them slowly in normal vision, trying to locate his enemies. He ignored the sickness in his stomach, the dizziness spinning through his head. He needed to stay focused; he was not about to be outsmarted by a group of _children!_

He _was_, however, splat in the face with an accumulation of hot gas.

"_**KYAAGHHH!!!**_" Vull waved it all away blindly, pain spreading across his face. It dispersed quickly, but as he looked up, he realized there was an unpleasant surprise hidden inside that first attack, and it materialized quicker than he had time to react to.

The first to appear was a fist balled in a force field, smashing into Vull's big nose with impeccable force. The body that fist connected to slid out of invisibility soon after, locked at the end of his powerful swing.

Time seemed to freeze, and Nazz was swooning. She had been so looking forward to seeing that hit, and _darn it all if Edd didn't look __**smokin'**__ hot doing it._

"...awesome," she squeaked.

Moaning, Vull swayed and staggered, left disoriented from the blow. Before he could lose his balance and fall, Edd kicked off the side of his massive head. He propelled backwards without fear; he knew Ed was in position to catch him midfall, and he did so right on his cue, safely bringing him back down to earth.

"_That_..." Eddy greeted once they touched down. "...was an _amazing_ hit. Didn't know you had it in you, Sockhead."

Shrugging, Edd replied, "What can I say? I _really_ dislike the man."

At a very strange, guttural sound, they all turned back up and watched Vull's erratic, seizure-esque spasms. It seemed like a metal coil was unraveling inside his stomach, causing him to twist about and gag on his own sickness. It was an ugly, nauseating sight to behold.

Edd was close to retching himself. "What on...!?"

"That's the instability I was talking about!" Ed delightfully pointed out.

"My word. I didn't think it would be that noticeable."

"_Yeesh!_" Eddy reeled back at a grosser twitch. "I'd hate to be _him_ right now!"

"All the more reason to end this, right?" Edd faced his team. "One more concussive hit should bring him down. So, what do you say?"

"Let's _**waste**_ him!!"

"_Super Eds style!!!_"

Meanwhile, as a spectator in the distance, Nazz was growing short of breath. Against the diseased sight of an unstable Vull, the three youths rose into the air on clouds of blue light, protected by a barrier of leftover steam. They moved as one unit, one well-oiled machine, in a synchronized dance of destruction.

Ed threw a left hook, snapping Vull's head to the side.

Eddy delivered a whirling kick, throwing him the other way.

And finally, a force field wrapped around both their right hands each, putting total control in Edd's mental capacity. With all his might, he led the newly-born team of superheroes into the final blow. In mirrored movements, the trio lifted their fists into the air...

...and brought down their judgment upon Vull Nurible. Breaking his face in the process.

The grand tremor, from just the blow itself, rocked the foundations of the entire island. It was followed soon after by a lesser quake, like an aftershock, as the once mighty man finally dropped to the ground, kicking up a massive fog of dust in his wake.

And though it had been completely obliterated, the courtyard was quiet once again.

A/N: Alright! You guys are so lucky I found time to finally type this up in my busy work schedule. Anyways, we've got one, maybe two chapters left, concluding this epicness in all its splendor. Stay tuned! And please review!!


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